The upcoming biopic Giant, which chronicles the rise of British-Yemeni boxing champion Prince Naseem ‘Naz’ Hamed, has been selected as the opening film for the fifth edition of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival, scheduled to run in Jeddah from 4 to 13 December 2025. The announcement was made at a press conference where the festival also revealed its principal competition sections and sidebars.

Directed by Rowan Athale and starring Amir El‑Masry as Hamed alongside Pierce Brosnan as Irish trainer Brendan Ingle, Giant traces Hamed’s journey from the working-class streets of Sheffield to world-champion status in the 1990s.

The film grapples with themes of identity, racism and sporting showmanship, showcasing how Hamed overcame prejudice to become an international icon.

Festival organisers emphasised that the choice of Giant underscores a celebration of Arab-world talent alongside global star power.

The programme will feature the Competition section (focusing on Arab, African and Asian cinema), along with the “Arab Spectacular” and “International Spectacular” sidebars — the latter including prominent titles such as Couture, directed by Alice Winocour and starring Angelina Jolie, and The Wizard of the Kremlin by Olivier Assayas.

Giant will play its MENA (Middle East and North Africa) premiere at the festival following its world premiere earlier in London.

Remarks from festival chief Executive Faisal Baltyuor highlight the film’s role in “portraying a journey of perseverance” and in reinforcing the growing presence of Arab stars in global cinema.

With Saudi Arabia continuing its drive to expand its film-industry infrastructure and cultural footprint, the selection of Giant reflects the Kingdom’s intent to position Jeddah as a major film-festival hub and bridge between regional and international cinema.