Gigi Hadid stuns at ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ NYC premiere

Gigi Hadid stuns at ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ NYC premiere
Gigi Hadid attended the “Deadpool & Wolverine” premiere in New York City. (AFP)
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Updated 23 July 2024
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Gigi Hadid stuns at ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ NYC premiere

Gigi Hadid stuns at ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ NYC premiere
  • Ensemble from Miu Miu’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection
  • Hadid posed on the red carpet alongside friend Blake Lively

DUBAI: US-Dutch-Palestinian model Gigi Hadid turned heads at the “Deadpool & Wolverine” premiere in New York City this week wearing an ensemble from Miu Miu’s Spring/Summer 2024 Ready-to-Wear collection.

The outfit featured a yellow bandeau top that was paired with a matching mustard yellow skirt in a knee-length cut and flowing silhouette. Hadid’s look was accessorized with a brown belt, black strappy heels and a yellow handbag.

Her jewelry included large gold hoop earrings and a statement gold chain necklace. She wore several chunky bangles in brown and gold, and a glitzy diamond anklet on her left ankle.




Hadid posed on the red carpet alongside her friend Blake Lively. (AFP)

Her blonde bob was styled sleek and smooth, with her bangs shaped into a bouncy, old Hollywood-inspired swoop.

Hadid posed on the red carpet alongside her friend Blake Lively, who was there to support her husband, Ryan Reynolds, who stars as Deadpool in the film.

Lively donned a striking off-the-shoulder jumpsuit from Atelier Versace. The outfit was crafted from a deep red, satin-like material and featured intricate black lace detailing throughout.

Lively accessorized the look with statement earrings and several rings. Her hair was styled in a sleek high ponytail, completing the ensemble.

Both Hadid and Lively continued their fashionable night with new outfits for the film’s after-party.




Both Hadid and Lively continued their fashionable night with new outfits for the film’s after-party. (Getty Images)

Hadid opted for a vibrant yellow trench coat made from a glossy, vinyl-like material from LaQuan Smith. The coat featured a classic trench silhouette with a wide lapel, belted waist and flared hem that fell just below the knees.

Meanwhile, Lively wore a head-turning Balmain minidress with a red and blue color scheme. The off-the-shoulder ensemble was adorned with large, three-dimensional red roses along the neckline and hemline.

The upcoming superhero film “Deadpool & Wolverine” is based on Marvel Comics characters. In addition to Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, the film features Hugh Jackman reprising his role as Wolverine.

The plot centers on Deadpool teaming up with a recovering Wolverine to face a common enemy. The film delves into the dynamic between the two characters, exploring their regrets and quarreling relationship.

The film is directed by Shawn Levy and is set to release in Saudi Arabia on July 25.


Maria Braz shows off Lebanese look at Venice Film Festival

Maria Braz shows off Lebanese look at Venice Film Festival
Updated 6 sec ago
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Maria Braz shows off Lebanese look at Venice Film Festival

Maria Braz shows off Lebanese look at Venice Film Festival

DUBAI: Brazilian model and influencer Maria Braz turned heads at the screening of “The Room Next Door” at the Venice Film Festival in a gown by Lebanese designer Georges Chakra. 

The strapless gown featured a mix of bold polka dots and intricate sequin embellishments. The look was completed with a dramatic, oversized polka-dotted shawl draped over her arms. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by MARIA BRAZ (@mariabbraz)

Braz accessorized her gown with jewelry from Tiffany & Co., including a simple choker necklace and modern, understated earrings.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by MARIA BRAZ (@mariabbraz)

Moroccan Emirati actress Mayssa Maghrebi was also spotted on the red carpet. She donned a sleek, black gown with a form-fitting silhouette. The gown featured thick straps and subtle cutouts at the sides. The bodice was adorned with intricate jeweled embellishments, and the dress extended into a slight train.

“The Room Next Door,” by Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, had its world premiere at the festival’s 81st edition, where it received a standing ovation for nearly 20 minutes, The Associated Press reported.

Though a new Almodóvar film is always an event for cinephiles, this one has special significance — it’s his English-language debut.

“My insecurity disappeared after the first table read with the actresses, with the exchange of the first indications,” he wrote in his director’s statement. “The language wasn’t going to be a problem, and not  because I master English, but because of the total disposition of the whole cast to understand me and to make it easy for me to understand them.”

The film stars Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, who play disconnected friends, who met in their youths at a magazine job, and whose lives took different paths. Ingrid (Moore) wrote novels while Martha (Swinton) became a war reporter. And now after years apart, they meet again in New York when Ingrid finds out Martha has cancer and is in a nearby hospital.

Over the following weeks and months, they reconnect, learning about one another's lives and Martha’s estranged daughter through a series of revealing conversations.

The film, which will be released in theaters in December, is playing in competition alongside titles including “Maria,” “Queer” and “Joker: Folie à Deux.” Winners will be announced on Sept. 7.


Arab Fund for Arts and Culture director talks new Netflix collab supporting women filmmakers

Arab Fund for Arts and Culture director talks new Netflix collab supporting women filmmakers
Updated 2 min 26 sec ago
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Arab Fund for Arts and Culture director talks new Netflix collab supporting women filmmakers

Arab Fund for Arts and Culture director talks new Netflix collab supporting women filmmakers

DUBAI: Netflix and the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC) have partnered to launch an initiative called “Women in Film – Bring Your Story to Life,” dedicated to advancing the professional growth of Arab women filmmakers. 

It will offer training and development opportunities to up to 25 women from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan and Kuwait.

Hopefuls can apply as teams with a complete project or as individuals for positions such as cinematographer or editor. A jury will select five projects, while a matchmaking process will be used to help incomplete groups find the technical expertise they need. Each group will develop a short fiction film with a $25,000 budget.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by AFAC (@afac.fund)

Rima Mismar, the executive director of AFAC, spoke to Arab News, sharing insights on the support the initiative will provide.

“The support that we give in the first stage is very much dependent on the script itself. The jury, which will make the selection, will also provide input and feedback on what each project needs in terms of finalizing the script, which will mainly be through training with scriptwriters, who may also be filmmakers,” she said.

“Once the script is finished, the focus will shift to the producers, as they bring together the team, including the director, writer, producer and cinematographer,” Mismar added.

The program will also offer mentorship and consultancy at every stage of production, from guiding directors on their films to providing support in cinematography, editing and sound design. 

Mismar expressed optimism about Arab cinema, noting: “Arab cinema, in terms of creative expression, style, and voices, is in a good place today.”

However, she highlighted significant challenges, particularly in funding and distribution. “The questions that most filmmakers today are grappling with are related to funding and the circulation and distribution of their films,” she said. 

She emphasized the need for a rethinking of production models to allow for more frequent filmmaking. “We need to think of ways to make films with less money because the economy of the region does not allow for huge productions. If filmmakers want to do films more frequently, rather than one every 10 years, we need to rethink the tools and resources available to them,” she explained.


Malaysian label Rizman Ruzaini kicks off Dubai Fashion Week

Malaysian label Rizman Ruzaini kicks off Dubai Fashion Week
Updated 02 September 2024
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Malaysian label Rizman Ruzaini kicks off Dubai Fashion Week

Malaysian label Rizman Ruzaini kicks off Dubai Fashion Week

DUBAI: Malaysian design duo Rizman Ruzaini opened Dubai Fashion Week’s Spring/Summer 2025 runway shows with their latest collection, “Mustika,” on Sunday night.

The collection combined modern cuts with the timeless elegance of traditional Malay designs — specifically the kebaya dress, a traditional upper garment, and batik print work.

Last year, the Malaysian label made their debut in Dubai during Dubai Fashion Week and had supermodel Naomi Campbell walk the runway in an elaborate dress and bolero jacket inspired by Malaysia’s Lake Chini.

This collection was inspired by the film “Perempuan Melayu Terakhir” (“The Last Malay Woman”), designers Rizman Nordin and Ruzaini Jamil explained to Arab News backstage.

“In this collection we chose to celebrate Malay heritage through fashion … the innovation of batik pattern into print, tumble beading and embroidery bring a significant evolution in fashion,” Jamil said.

“Mustika symbolizes the jewel of Malay heritage costume,” he said. “The entire collection focuses on the kebaya being one of the oldest iconic attires in women’s fashion in Southeast Asia. It symbolizes culture, heritage and national identity and is still being worn today.”

The collection features traditional batik motifs reappropriated into modern designs with intricate embroidery and tambour beading, emphasizing the brand’s dedication to preserving and promoting Malaysia's sartorial heritage on the global stage.

The dynamic designer duo, who founded their label in 2005, are particularly excited about the Dubai market. At the end of this year, they will open their first standalone store in Dubai in an undisclosed location.

 “Dubai reflects the DNA of the brand. We mix local tradition with contemporary fashion cuts as well as modest fashion. People in Dubai love to dress up and so our label fits very well with the style here,” Nordin said.


Amal and George Clooney walk the red carpet at ‘Wolfs’ premiere in Venice

Amal and George Clooney walk the red carpet at ‘Wolfs’ premiere in Venice
Updated 02 September 2024
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Amal and George Clooney walk the red carpet at ‘Wolfs’ premiere in Venice

Amal and George Clooney walk the red carpet at ‘Wolfs’ premiere in Venice

DUBAI: British-Lebanese human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and her husband George Clooney were resplendant as they attended the world premiere of the latter’s new film, “Wolfs.”

For the red carpet premiere, Amal opted for a a pale yellow ruffled gown with a corseted bodice from Versace. She completed the look with a Judith Leiber clutch and drop earrings.

Brad Pitt and George Clooney at the world premiere of  “Wolfs” at the Venice Film Festival. (AFP)

Starring Hollywood bigwigs Brad Pitt and George Clooney, “Wolfs” had a triumphant world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Sunday night, receiving an almost 5-minute standing ovation at the Lido Theatre.

The Jon Watts-directed film from Apple and Sony casts Pitt and Clooney as fixers who accidentally end up working the same job.

Produced by Clooney’s Smokehouse and Pitt’s Plan B, the film also stars Amy Ryan, Austin Abrams, Poorna Jagannathan, Richard Kind and Zlatko Buric.

The movie is also getting a limited theatrical release via Sony on Sept. 20, followed by a global launch on Apple TV+ on Sept. 27.


Celebrities descend on Red Sea Film Fest-backed amfAR Gala Venezia

Celebrities descend on Red Sea Film Fest-backed amfAR Gala Venezia
Updated 02 September 2024
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Celebrities descend on Red Sea Film Fest-backed amfAR Gala Venezia

Celebrities descend on Red Sea Film Fest-backed amfAR Gala Venezia

DUBAI: Celebrities from around the world attended the amfAR Gala Venezia 2024, which was supported by Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival, on Sunday night in Italy. 

US singer Kelly Rowland performed at the event in an all-white gown by Cheney Chan and Chopard jewels as she hit the stage in front of a star-studded audience. 

US singer Kelly Rowland at the amfAR Gala Venezia 2024. (Getty Images)

The event took place on the sidelines of the 81st Venice International Film Festival and played host to celebrity guests, including Hollywood actor Antonio Banderas, British actor Lucien Laviscount and US actor Richard Gere, among others. 

 

 

Shivani Pandya, managing director of the Red Sea Film Festival and Saudi producer and former CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation Mohammed Al-Turki were also spotted on the red carpet ahead of the gala. 

Jomana Al-Rashid, chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation, chaired the event. 

Al-Turki was honored with the amfAR Philanthropic Leadership Award during the gala, with amfAR taking to social media to describe his “extraordinary dedication to supporting HIV research and his unwavering commitment to advancing the fight against AIDS.”

 

 

Meanwhile, four Red Sea Fund-supported productions have been selected for screening at the storied film festival. 

The RSFF-backed films “Aïcha” and “Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo” will screen in the Orizzonti and Orizzonti Extra selections respectively.

This is alongside two titles in the Venice Production Bridge’s Final Cut initiative supported by the Red Sea Fund: “Aisha Can’t Fly Away Anymore” and “In This Darkness I See You.”

Also screening in Venice’s Giornate degli Autori sidebar are two films supported by the Red Sea Fund: Hind Meddeb’s documentary “Sudan, Remember Us,” and from Northeast Asia “To Kill a Mongolian Horse” by Chinese director Xiaoxuan Jiang.

 “This year in Venice, the Foundation is supporting four films that demonstrate the importance and power of Arab, Asian and African cinema and encapsulate the pillars of the Foundation — creativity, diversity and cultural exchange,” Al-Rashid said in a released statement. 

“At this year’s festival we are also notably underscoring our expansion to Asia with our support of Chinese director Xiaoxuan Jiang, which marks our first project from the country,” she added.