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Sir Michael Caine was greeted with a standing ovation as he accepted a prestigious gong for his seven-decade career on the opening night of The Red Sea International Film Festival on Thursday.
The actor, 92, was surrounded by his three grandchildren as he accepted the honour from his longtime friend Vin Diesel at the glitzy event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Michael was presented with the Red Sea Honoree Award, which was given to actors, and influential industry figures whose work has made a lasting impact on the world of cinema.
He has an illustrious acting career with roles in classics such as The Italian Job, Get Carter, Hannah And Her Sisters, The Cider House Rules and Educating Rita.
More recently, he starred as Alfred Pennyworth in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy, Inception, Dunkirk and Tenet, before retiring from acting at the age of 90.
Speaking on stage, Michael said he was ‘lucky’ that he was able to continue acting until he reached his 90s, and he was ‘surprised’ to have received his acting honour.
The two-time Oscar winner was awarded the prestigious gong during the opening night gala of The Red Sea International Film Festival, which once again puts global cinema in the spotlight, with a bold focus on Arab filmmakers and regional talent.
As well as being joined by his wife Shakira and his pal Vin on the red carpet, Michael was supported by his three grandchildren Taylor, Miles and Allegra.
Taking to the stage, he said: ‘I kept working until I was 90, which was two years ago, and I thought to myself I’m not going to do anything else because I’ve had all the luck you can get.
‘But one of the biggest lucky things is tonight to turn up here. I’ll tell you why, because I had never been here.
‘I’ve seen it on the television, but I thought I’d never win with anything there. And I have won something, so I’m happy, and you’ve surprised me.
‘I want to thank you for the surprise, because in showbusiness, you never get many surprises, but you get a couple of shocks. So thank you.’
The star also paid tribute to his family, saying: ‘I love being with all the people I’m with all the time.
‘I have a fabulous family that I adore beyond belief, and I’ve had a fairly fabulous movie family. Some have let me down, but it doesn’t matter I love them beyond belief, including the failures.’
Michael has two children, daughter Dominique, 68, from his first marriage to actress Patricia Haines, and Natasha, 52, with his second wife Shakira, who he married in 1973, and both were proudly watching their father from the audience.
Guests from across the world poured into Cultural Square in Jeddah’s historic Al-Balad district to celebrate and mark the The Red Sea International Film Festival’s 2025 theme: For the Love of Cinema.
French screen icon Juliette Binoche also took home an honoree award, recognising her remarkable work both on and off screen. She will also headline the festival’s first Women in Motion panel with Kering.
Other honourees included Hong Kong action maestro Stanley Tong, who was presented the award by Jessica Alba.
The night also doubled as the world premiere of Giant, the high-energy biographical drama about British boxing legend Prince Naseem Hamed. Directed by Rowan Athale, it stars Amir El-Masry as ‘Naz’ and Pierce Brosnan as his famed Irish trainer Brendan Ingle.
After the credits rolled, the party shifted back to Cultural Square – where Rita Ora shocked the crowd with a surprise performance that electrified the opening night.
This year’s festival jury were also among the VIP guests at the premiere, including Nadine Labaki, Riz Ahmed, Head of 2025 Jury Sean Baker, Chairwoman of the RSIFF Jomana Al Rashid, Olga Kurylenko and Naomie Harris.
