The Red Sea Film Festival Will Provide Funding for 14 Arabic-Language Movies

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) announced on Monday that 14 new Arabic cinema projects have won the support of the Red Sea Fund for production and post-production for this season.

The announcement was made at the Venice Film Festival, where the Red Sea Festival and a number of the Kingdom’s filmmakers have a substantial presence.

“Fourteen Arab filmmakers will receive production and postproduction funding from the Red Sea Fund, unveiled earlier this year with a $10 million pot and aimed to support projects that require immediate financing to help “shine a light on important from exciting and emerging filmmakers from the Arab world,” according to organizers.

The fund is aimed at providing the financial support needed to turn cinema projects into serious productions that impress fans around the world.

The list of announced projects includes movies and documentaries from 10 Arab countries: Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Qatar, Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco; in addition to four works from non-Arab countries: Sweden, the United States, France, and Germany.

“Arab cinema continues to captivate audiences around the world with unique and authentic stories that showcase the extraordinary creative talent who brings to life the region’s rich cultural tapestry,” said Edouard Waintrop, artistic director of the Red Sea Film Festival.

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival is moving the dates for its inaugural edition to December 6-15, to take place three weeks later than the previously announced November 11-20 slot. It is due to unfold in the historic city center of the Red Sea port town of Jeddah.

The inaugural edition was due to take place in March 2020 but was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Red Sea International Film Festival is for film lovers, filmmakers, and the global film industry. The Festival brings the best in Arab and World Cinema to Jeddah Old Town. The Festival showcases exciting new films on the Saudi big screen, alongside retrospective programs celebrating the masters of cinema, the latest Saudi films, and feature and short film competitions.

The Red Sea Film Festival Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization created to support the film industry in Saudi Arabia in the production, distribution, and education of cinema. The Foundation oversees The Red Sea International Film Festival, The Red Sea Signature Programs, and The Red Sea Archives.

The full list of 14 films includes:

• Farha, directed by Darin J. Sallam (Jordan, Sweden)
• The Sea Ahead, directed by Ely Dagher (France, Lebanon, USA, Belgium, Qatar)
• Communion, directed by Nejib Belkadhi (Tunisia)
• Take Me To The Cinema, directed by Albaqer Jaafar (Iraq, Egypt)
• Soula, directed by Salah Issaad (Algeria)
• Quareer, directed by Ragheed Al Nahdi, Norah Almowald, Ruba Khafagy, Fatma Alhazmi, Noor Alameer (Saudi Arabia)
• Life Suits Me Well, directed by Al Hadi Ulad-Mohand (Morocco, France)
• Recovery, directed by Rashid Masharawi (Palestine)
• Route 10, directed by Omar Naim (Saudi Arabia)
• Basma, directed by Fatima Al-Banawi (Saudi Arabia, Egypt)
• I Am Arze, directed by Mira Shaib (Lebanon)
• Inshallah A Boy, directed by Amjad Alrasheed (Jordan)
• The Arabic Interpreter, directed by Ali Kareem (Iraq, Germany, Qatar)
• The Wind Also Sings, directed by Hadi Ghandour (Lebanon, Tunisia)