In Venice, Saudi Arabia's Red Sea International Film Festival celebrates women in cinema

In the midst of the Venice Film Festival, international and regional stars came together to celebrate women in cinema at a star-studded gala hosted by Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Film Festival.

Designed to honour the women and their achievements in the film industry, the Women in Cinema gala was also set up to fuel women empowerment and to further support the women in front of and behind the lens.

In Venice, the Red Sea International Film Festival gala was spearheaded by Mohammed Al Turki, Chairman of the Festival Committee, and he has always been recognised for highlighting Kingdom talents and introducing Saudi cinema to the world.

The gala was attended by a slew of remarkable women in the film industry. From Hollywood, Kate Hudson, Demi Moore and Isabelle Huppert were in attendance, alongside Fatima AlBanawi, Saba Mubarak, Tara Abboud and Kaouther Ben Hania from the region. Other guests included Elite's Ester Expósito, Karen Wazen, Eiza González and Alejandra Onieva.

Marking the continuation of supporting the Arab community and emerging talents, the gala was hosted in collaboration with Monot – where stars dazzled in Eli Mizrahi's pieces. "It was an honour to join forces with the Red Sea International Film Festival alongside so many strong, confident and talented women. I feel inspired by the increasingly complex female characters portrayed in film and strive to create pieces that allow women to express their individuality."