Ithra: Saudi Film Festival to Feature Screenings, Workshops, Networking Forums
The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) will host the annual Saudi Film Festival from April 17 to 23, at the center’s headquarters in Dhahran, Ithra announced.
The 11th Edition
In partnership with the Cinema Association, the 11th edition will feature 7 Saudi and Gulf feature films, 22 short Saudi and Gulf feature films, as well as 7 Saudi and Gulf documentaries.
Ithra also revealed that the festival will boast 12 Saudi parallel films, 4 seminars, 4 advanced lessons, along with 3 sessions involving the signing of the books of the Saudi Cinema Encyclopedia.
Furthermore, the production market will highlight 22 projects with 22 exhibitors.
Main Theme, Slogan
Themed “Cinema of Identity”, the Saudi Film Festival will explore personal, national, and cultural narratives through films in cooperation with the French international Clermont-Ferrand Festival.
During the Ramadan Ghabga “gathering” held at Ithra, Director of the Saudi Film Festival Ahmed Al-Mulla announced that the festival’s slogan for the current edition is “Stories to be Seen and Told.”
This slogan stands as a testament to the festival’s pivotal role as an exceptional platform enabling filmmakers to showcase their cinematic works through screening programs.
Interestingly, the coming festival will offer an exclusive opportunity to display the stories of filmmakers in the production market.
“The festival offers a vast array of films and programmes that focus on showcasing successful production experiences in the cinematic scene,” Al-Mulla added.
Apart from this, the festival’s Deputy Director, Mansour Al-Badran, stated that the current edition aligns with the general cinematic scene, where cinematic creativity turns into a window for vision and narration.
Al-Badran also emphasized that the festival would feature more cinema screens in the center’s facilities.
“Many of the films will be shown for the first time on the screens of the Saudi Film Festival,” he added.
Wide Participation
It is worth noting that 285 films have registered in the film competition and 116 films have taken part in the production market competition. Meanwhile, 313 scenarios have registered in the unexecuted scenario competition.
Japanese Cinema
During the festival, visitors will have an exclusive opportunity to explore Japanese cinema, through screening 8 feature and short films and hosting Japanese cinema experts.
In collaboration with the Japanese Short Shorts International Festival, the festival will hold a cultural symposium and an advanced lesson on the Japanese cinema experience.
Since its third session, Ithra has been an extraordinary partner in the Saudi Film Festival through the center’s status as an unparalleled cultural destination.
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