RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia will host its first major film festival on Monday, less than four years after removing a ban on cinemas, as it seeks to capitalise on a lucrative new industry. Movie theatres were closed for decades until April 2018, but performers and filmmakers will walk the red carpet at Jeddah’s Red Sea International Film Festival for the next ten days. The festival kicks off the day after Jeddah hosts its inaugural Formula One Grand Prix, another attempt to promote Saudi Arabia in a positive manner. It will screen 138 long and short films in over 30 languages from 67 nations.
Jordan’s critically praised “The Alleys,” directed by Bassel Ghandour, is among them, as are non-Arabic films such as Joe Wright’s “Cyrano” and “’83,” about India’s 1983 cricket World Cup victory.
The festival is also slated to honour Haifaa al-Mansour, the first female Saudi director, for shooting the award-winning film “Wadjda” in 2012.
Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, rose to power in 2017 and brought a slew of reforms with him. “Just five years ago, the idea of organising a film festival in Saudi Arabia was unthinkable,” Egyptian art critic Mohamed Abdel Rahman stated.
The festival is also keeping an eye on a growing market for film production and consumption in Saudi Arabia.
According to a report by multinational accounting firm PwC, Saudi Arabia’s annual box office might exceed $950 million by 2030.
It is estimated that the kingdom’s population of over 40 million people will be able to accommodate up to 2,600 movie screens.
