RIYADH: The Red Sea International Film Festival has announced that MBC Group will return as a partner organization for the second edition of the festival, which begins on Dec. 1.
The organizers of RSIFF said they will work with the group, described as the largest and leading media company in the Middle East and North Africa region, to promote film culture and help audiences throughout the Arab world, and beyond, to discover the acclaimed films due to be screened during the 10-day festival.
They added that MBC will play an important role in the organization of a number of mentoring and training sessions as part of the Talent Days section of the festival program on Dec. 7 and 8, in keeping with the event’s mission to contribute to the development of the film industry in the Kingdom.
Talent Days, which includes workshops, speeches, panel discussions and more, is intended to develop and equip aspiring and emerging producers, scriptwriters and filmmakers in the region with the tools and knowledge they need to excel in the film industry. The program will feature renowned local, regional and international industry experts who will cover a wide range of industry issues.
“Cinema mirrors society and impacts it, and can be leveraged to drive forward positive change,” said RSIFF CEO Mohammed Al-Turki.
“We’re thrilled to collaborate once again with MBC Group — the leading media group in the region — as our Festival partner, as it bolsters our efforts to facilitate the growth of the film industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world, allowing ideas to transcend geographical boundaries.”
MBC CEO Sam Barnett, said: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is home to fantastic entertainment and film talent, and with the recent developments that have helped encourage and inspire the future stars of the industry, we at MBC Group are fully invested in amplifying this vision.
“We’re delighted to be, once again, partnering with the Red Sea International Film Festival as we look forward to welcoming a sensational second edition.”
The strategic partnership will also award prizes to selected projects by Saudi and Arab directors as part of the Red Sea Souk and Red Sea Lodge platforms. The former aims to discover Arab and African filmmakers and connect them with the international film community, while the latter features a number of projects developed throughout the year during intensive workshops in partnership with the Torino Film Lab.
The project awarded first place will receive $120,000, the second $70,000 and the third $40,000 to help develop and produce their projects.
