All eyes are on Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning film industry as the second edition of its Red Sea International Film Festival continues to unfold this week in the port city of Jeddah, running from December 1 to 10.
The event has been playing host to an eye-popping roster of international, regional and local stars and filmmakers over the weekend, topped by the likes of Oliver Stone, Sharon Stone, Spike Lee, Guy Richie and Andrew Dominik.
The main endgame in the backdrop is to put the spotlight on the country’s burgeoning film and TV sector, which has been expanding at pace, following the lifting of the country’s 35-year cinema ban at the end of 2017 as part of a larger strategy to open-up the country’s economy and society.
In the space of five years, the country has built 580 screens, launched two major shooting locations in AlUla and Neom, and is steadily building a network of local producers, distributors and exhibitors amid demand for local content.
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