The 10th Saudi Film Festival runs May 2-9 at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) in Dhahran. Debuting in 2008 this year’s edition has two main themes: Indian cinema and sci-fi films.
The Saudi Film Festival will feature 76 film screenings. 53 titles will compete for 36 awards in several categories, including Film Competition, Unexecuted Screenplay Competition, and Production Market Projects Competition.
This year, a new category will honor environmental consciousness: The Golden Palm Awards. It will spotlight the best Saudi documentary about the environment and an animated short film. Also honored will be Saudi artist Abdul Mohsen Al-Nimr whose contributions to the local film industry include works such as The Sun, Thobe The Wedding and the latest, Hajjan,
10 training workshops and 13 masterclasses are available along with other activities such as a children’s program with interactive elements, a meet and greet with Saudi stars, an Ithra tour and a display of the Saudi Encyclopedia of Cinema.
This year’s edition has two main themes: Indian cinema and sci-fi films. The Spotlight on Indian Cinema program will explore India’s rich film industry beyond Bollywood and showcase Indian indie movies, which rarely get the chance to run in the Gulf region. Practical workshops and cultural seminars will be included for both the main themes, as well as programming designed especially for children.
The Saudi Film Festival predates the popular Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah which was held originally in 2021. According to the Saudi Film Festival site,
“The festival is now expanding the scope of film screening programs to include a broader range of Arab and international productions as it serves as a platform for production companies, producers and filmmakers to support their projects in the production market. The festival programming now includes a wide array of enriching programs such as seminars and intensive workshops to elevate the Saudi filmmaking sector. Additionally, a selection of books will be translated and published as part of a series that aims to enrich the Arab library in the genres of filmmaking and cinema literature.”
