RED SEA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL CELEBRATES PARTNERSHIP WITH SAUDI FILM FESTIVAL

The Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) is proud to support the eighth edition of the Saudi Film Festival in the Eastern city of Dhahran, KSA. The festival will take place from the 2nd to the 9th of June 2022, at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra). The Saudi Film Festival is the original pioneer of cinema and a strong advocate of the film industry in Saudi Arabia, nurturing a selection of talented filmmakers over the past eight editions. The partnership is in line with the Red Sea IFF’s continued efforts to engage and support and Saudi talent.

The Red Sea International Festival has been designed to support and develop the regional film industry through development initiatives such as The Red Sea Lodge, the Foundation's incubator for Saudi and Arab filmmakers. The Red Sea IFF will be running the second workshop of the Red Sea Lodge at the Ithra Center (King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture) in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The RSIFF provides Saudi talent with a platform for storytelling and develops and nurtures local filmmakers through dedicated funds, as well as promoting film production in the region. The Red Sea Lodge’s intensive creative and professional training program involves tutoring and guiding teams of Saudi and Arab directors, producers and scriptwriters who will help enhance industry knowledge and guide participants with the aim of taking their film projects from idea to reality. 

Celebrating a fruitful partnership with the Saudi Film Festival, the Red Sea International Film Festival proves its presence and support with a prominently located booth on the festival grounds. Representatives of the festival team aim to present the RSIFF to guests, building awareness of the festival’s various programs and activities. 

Mohammed Al Turki, CEO of The Red Sea International Film Festival, commented on this momentous occasion: “We are proud of our valuable partnership with the Saudi Film Festival, an established festival in the Kingdom since 2008, and we look forward to empowering local talent together. The quality of filmmaking presented at the Saudi Film Festival as well as the Red Sea IFF is a testament to the budding enthusiasm and hunger in this industry. We look forward to building on our commitment to take the Saudi film industry to the next level on a regional and global scale.”

“As we look forward to another exciting edition of the Saudi Film Festival, we are also delighted with our partnership with the Red Sea International Film Festival. The growing momentum of the Saudi film scene is deeply inspiring and fills us with anticipation for a future filled with creativity, bursting from the heart of our beloved Kingdom. As we step into the eighth edition, we can’t wait to see what we can accomplish hand-in-hand with our esteemed partner the RSIFF.”, said Ahmed AlMulla, Saudi Film Festival Director.

Some of the films that premiered at the first edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival have now made their way to the Saudi Film Festival. The films that will be featured include Kayan, Quareer, Maskoon, and Junoon, all from the new ‘Saudi New Cinema’ category. The Saudi Film Festival will also be showing a feature film from the Red Sea Competition – Europa. Through their partnership with the Saudi Film Festival, The Red Sea IFF intends to further nurture and develop local talent to be presented on an international platform, showcasing the best of Saudi Arabia’s filmmakers at the festival later in the year. This is just a starting point for the RSIFF in their endeavor to further elevate and invest in film related initiatives in Saudi Arabia, utilizing its prominence as a vehicle to promote films from the Kingdom both within the region and on the world stage.

The second edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival will be held from the 1st to the 10th of December 2022.