Kaleem Aftab Exits International Programming Chief Role at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival

variety.com:

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Kaleem Aftab, director of international programming at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival, has stepped down following a four-year stint.

The London-based film critic had been a key member of the team that launched the rapidly growing event which takes place in Jeddah, on the Red Sea’s eastern shore, and aims to become the region’s top festival and market.

In his role Aftab pushed boundaries by programming uncensored movies from the Western world, and also from Asia and Africa, in a country where cinema had been banned for religion-related reasons until 2017.

He also crowned his ambition to get Spike Lee – about whom Aftab has written a biography – to preside over the festival’s main jury last year. “Kaleem has been a part of the Red Sea team for the past four years and built an international programme, working to put the Red Sea International Film Festival on the map as a key stop in the Festival calendar,” the fest said in a statement. “He has been a pivotal part of our journey so far and we wish him all the best in his future work.” “In due course we will share further information on the upcoming fifth edition of the festival and the international programming team,” the statement added.