The Saudi Film Festival is set to return to the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) in Dhahran from 23 to 29 April, with organisers framing this year’s edition around a simple idea: how stories change when movement, distance, and transition sit at the centre of the narrative.
Organised by the Cinema Association in partnership with Ithra and supported by the Saudi Film Commission, this year’s festival is held under the theme, “Cinema of the Journey.”
The programme includes Arab and international titles, spanning short and feature-length films, with selections that use travel, movement, or emotional transition as the engine of the story. Alongside the main selections, the festival will introduce a dedicated “Spotlight on Korean Cinema” section, following last year’s focus on Japanese cinema.
Ahmed Al-Mulla, founder and director of the Saudi Film Festival, said the event is designed first and foremost around creators. “We’re excited to welcome filmmakers to our annual gathering. Our doors are open to all creators, and filmmakers remain at the heart of everything we do.”
Tariq Al-Khawaji, the festival’s deputy director, said Ithra’s partnership with the Cinema Association has supported the festival’s “growth and thematic diversity year after year,” adding that expansion has made attention to detail increasingly important.
The Saudi Film Festival first launched in 2008 and has gradually expanded from a film showcase into a wider industry-facing platform. The festival’s programme goes beyond film screenings and includes training workshops, cultural seminars, masterclasses, a production market, and a project competition.
Comments (0)