Johnny Depp, Will Smith and More Walk Red Carpet at Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia

Johnny Depp (L) and Will Smith (R) at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2023

The opening night of the third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival was filled with star power, with Johnny Depp and Will Smith among the stars attending.

The Saudi Arabia event opened with the premiere of HWJN, based on the best-selling Saudi fantasy novel by Ibraheem Abbas. A synopsis on the festival’s website explains that the film “is set in a world where djinn have crossed a traditional barrier and are living invisibly among humans” and takes viewers “into a kingdom of the imagination where anything seems possible.”

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Johnny Depp attends the Opening Night screening of “HWJN” at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2023

Johnny Depp’s film Jeanne du Barry will be shown on Friday after debuting at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival in May. He walked the red carpet dressed in a sleek, all-black tuxedo.

Smith — who will speak on Saturday — was also seen arriving at the event dressed in a dark black suit and black dress shoes. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he was approached by many fans asking for selfies and posed for as many as possible on the red carpet.

Will Smith attends the Opening Night screening of “HWJN” at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2023

While Sofía Vergara didn’t walk the red carpet, she spoke on stage during the event’s opening ceremony. Her appearance came on the same day that Netflix dropped a new trailer for her upcoming limited series, Griselda.

Other notable guests included Sharon Stone and Michelle Williams, per Deadline. When announced as the head of the competition jury, Baz Luhrmann (who was also in attendance) said the title was a “great honor.”

Sofia Vergara speaks on stage during the Opening Ceremony at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2023 on November 30, 2023

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“As a child in the local cinema that we ran near the tiny country town where I grew up, I was mesmerized by the powerful historical and physical landscapes of Lawrence of Arabia. Since that time, I have had an abiding passion for the Arabian world, but after visiting Saudi Arabia, I felt truly inspired by the remarkable young filmmaking talent coming up across the region and to see how they are now capturing the attention of the global film community,” a statement from the Elvis director read.

The festival’s website states that the multi-day event is “for film lovers, filmmakers, and the global film industry.”

Sharon Stone attends the Opening Night screening of “HWJN” at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2023

“See the blockbusters of the future before they hit the big screen. Discover old favorites with lovingly curated retrospectives and restored classics. Explore immersive audio-visual worlds and try something new with experimental and short film strands,” the website adds.