JEDDAH: Under the theme of “Desert Cinema,” the seventh edition of the Saudi Film Festival (SFF) has placed Saudi and international filmmakers center stage.
Held at the King Abdul Aziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) in partnership with the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Art (SASCA) of Dammam, the event features 57 films, 36 of which were produced by Saudi filmmakers and 21 from across the GCC.
Majid Samman, head of performance art and cinema at Ithra, told Arab News that opportunities in the filmmaking industry in Saudi Arabia are booming, especially with the arrival of cinema and movie theaters, a drastic shift from when YouTube was the go-to platform to showcase films, a hobby that not many thought could be a lucrative business.
“Nowadays, we are trying to make people understand that they can actually become professionals in the filmmaking industry and they make a living out of it.”
In previous rounds of the festival, Ithra produced more than 20 films all made by Saudi directors, resulting in 15 national and international awards. Ithra has also supported the…