Prince Naseem Biopic ‘Giant’ to Open Red Sea Film Festival
The fifth edition of Red Sea Film Festival will open on Dec. 4 with Rowan Athale’s “Giant,” which tells the story of British-Yemeni boxing champion Prince Naseem ‘Naz’ Hamed. The screening will be the film’s premiere in the Middle East and North Africa region.
The film portrays the relationship between Hamed, played by Egyptian-British actor Amir El Masry, and his Irish boxing trainer Brendan Ingle, played by Pierce Brosnan. It charts Naz’s rags-to-riches underdog tale from his humble beginnings in Sheffield to becoming champion of the world. Sylvester Stallone is one of the film’s executive producers.
With his dominance of the sport, Naseem faced down the abhorrent racism and islamophobia that swept Britain in the 1980s and ’90s to become a global sporting icon.
The film explores the unlikely and tender relationship between Naz and Ingle, and the instrumental role that Ingle played on Naz’s road to success.
Faisal Baltyuor, CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation, said “Our selection of ‘Giant’ as the opening film of the fifth edition embodies an artistic celebration of regional talents who have established their presence on the global film scene. Through the story of an Arab world champion in boxing, the film portrays a journey of perseverance that inspires generations and reflects pride in identity, highlighting the growing presence of Arab stars in international productions alongside global names, reaffirming that Arab cinema today stands as a powerful force in the global film landscape.”
The film is financed by AGC Studios and BondIt Media Capital. The producers are Mark Lane of Tea Shop Productions, Kevin Sampson of White Star Productions and Stuart Ford, AGC Studios chairman and CEO.
