Global coverage of the red carpet opening of Saudi Arabia’s third Red Sea Film Festival on Friday gleefully proclaimed that “Jeddah has welcomed A-listers from across the world”. Will Smith and Johnny Depp posed for pictures and Smith gave an interview with self-deprecating comments about “making mistakes”. Organisers told the press, without a trace of irony, that the event’s theme is “metamorphosis” – a cute word for a festival that seems dedicated to uncancelling both Hollywood stars and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s human rights record. If it’s surprising to see Hollywood embrace a festival in a country that banned cinemas until 2018, it’s worth noting that Smith, according to Puck’s Matthew Belloni, received more than $1 million to attend while Depp didn’t get a direct bounty but, as the festival’s foundation backed his recent Cannes festival opening film Jeanne du Barry, was part of this year’s DNA. It also funded the Depp-directed film Modì, about Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani.