The committee responsible for organizing the Saudi Film Festival has decided to assign all the rights, mechanisms, and commitments of the coming editions of the festival to the Saudi Cinema Association as of the 8th edition scheduled on June 9-2, in partnership with the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), and with the support of the film committee at the Ministry of Culture.
The agreement was signed on April 16 by the chairman of the board of directors at the Culture and Arts Association Dammam, Abdulaziz Ismail, and chairman of the board of directors at the Saudi Cinema Association Ahmed Al Mulla at the headquarters of the Culture and Arts Association Dammam.
The Association, in partnership with the Dammam Literary Club, organized the first seven editions of the Festival, since its debut in 2008.
The Saudi Film Festival is one of the programs carried on by the national initiative for developing local filmmaking aimed at creating opportunities for the Saudi talents, celebrating best productions, and supporting the Kingdom’s goal to establish a specialized cinema association.
The Saudi Cinema Association was founded in 2021, as a body specializing in filmmaking and cinema productions.
Hana Al-Omair, chairwoman of the new Saudi Cinema Association, hailed the major role played by the Culture and Arts Association Dammam, and how it created a prestigious event that the Association will keep promoting, in addition to improving the filmmaking and cinema industry in Saudi Arabia, and preserving the history and archive of the Saudi Film Festival.
“Today, we have placed the Saudi Film Festival in its new cinema-focused frame and left it in good hands that have always been eager to promote it. The Culture and Arts Association Dammam, in cooperation with the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture and the Culture Ministry, managed to grow this festival and support it until it reached its current position,” said Ismail.
“The festival is known worldwide as the top incubator of talents in the Kingdom and the Arabian Gulf region. Behind these huge efforts stand many great names that dedicated their time and potentials to the festival since its launch and are ready to further support it in its new aspect in cooperation with the cinema association…This makes us happy and reassured that the festival will keep advancing,” he added.
