The 10th Saudi Film Festival has began today May 2 at the King Abdulaziz International Cultural Center (IDRA) in Tehran.
This year’s eight-day event, backed by the Cinema Association and the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with ITRA, features 76 films and 53 competing titles vying for 36 awards. Filmmakers, actors, and enthusiasts will grace the ceremony, with red carpet events on opening and closing nights.
The festival will open with a feature-length documentary entitled “Underground” by Saudi director Abdul Rahman Sandukji about the music industry in the Kingdom.
Festival Director Ahmed Al-Mulla said in a press conference: “This event is quickly turning into a must-attend festival for the film community in the entire Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. This year’s 10th edition is expected to be bigger and better.
The festival’s vice president, Mansour Al-Badran, said: “We have come a long way in the past decade, and we are pleased to see the Saudi Film Festival becoming more important and popular in the region’s film community every year.”
“(It) has become a gateway for cultural exchange and exploration, providing a means for the Kingdom’s cultural openness and building bridges across borders for new projects and experiences.”
The colorful history of the festival – which debuted in 2008 – will be presented in the Cinema Society’s “Encyclopedia of Saudi Cinema.” It will include 20 books covering all aspects of film.
This year’s edition focuses on two main themes: Indian cinema and science fiction films. ‘Indian Cinema Spotlight’ delves into India’s diverse film industry beyond Bollywood.
Plaza at Idra introduces NeoCyb, a virtual manufacturing experience, bridging the future and the present. Through virtual production, live-action films merge with real-time digital elements, utilizing technologies like real-time rendering engines and motion capture. This approach creates immersive virtual environments for performers, aiding filmmakers in scene visualization and capture. It also streamlines complex visual effects, minimizing the need for extensive post-production work. This will enhance efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
The festival also includes a production marketplace where people can work towards a common goal: to make more films. Filmmakers, producers, financiers – and those looking for financing – will attend. Organizers say the market aims to “promote the film industry in Saudi Arabia by enhancing cooperation between artists and producers in the film industry.”
53 long, short and documentary films nominated by the festival’s technical committee are competing for 36 awards at this year’s Sharjah Film Festival. Additionally, it will be screened at the festival in three categories: Film Competition, Non-Executive Screenplay Competition, and Product Market Projects Competition.
Furthermore, the festival will continue to celebrate the achievements of film pioneers in the Kingdom and the Gulf region. This year, the ceremony will honor Saudi actor Abdul Mohsen Al-Nimr from the neighboring Al-Ahsa region.
Al-Nimr starred in several films during his decades-long artistic career. They included “The Sun” (1990), “Shadows of Silence” (2006), “Toby: The Wedding” (2016), and “The Long Road” (2022).
He starred in last year’s award-winning film “Hajan,” produced by Idra which premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. Additionally, he recently won three awards including Best Feature Film, Best Actor and Best Cinematography at the Gulf Festival Cinematic.
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