The Red Sea Film Foundation announced administrative updates including the appointment of Mohammed Asiri, former Board Member of the Red Sea Film Foundation, as the new Acting CEO. Mohammed Turki will transition to an advisory role in the foundation, wishing to continue his cinematic journey and focus on his career as an independent film producer and businessman.
The Red Sea Film Festival is an international cinematic event held annually in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The festival aims to enhance the film industry in the region and support local, Arab, and international cinematic talents. It features screenings of films from around the world, including feature-length, short, and documentary films. The festival also organizes various activities such as workshops, seminars, and lectures aimed at sharing experiences and developing skills in the film industry.
Since its launch in 2006, the Red Sea Film Festival has grown to become one of the key cinematic events in the region, attracting various artists and professionals in the film industry to Jeddah to enjoy a diverse range of films and events, and to exchange experiences and knowledge in the field.
**Achievements of the Festival**
In recent years, the foundation has achieved numerous milestones and made a notable presence at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where four films supported by the foundation were selected to be shown at the festival, including "Noura," which is the first Saudi film to reach the official competition in the festival's history and received a special mention from the jury. The list also included "To the Unknown Land" and "Animal," which were screened in the Critics' Week, along with "I Raised My Eyes to the Sky," which won the Golden Eye award for Best Documentary.
It is noteworthy that under Mohammed Turki's leadership, the foundation supported over 250 film projects from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Africa, and Asia, contributing to delivering those films to international festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Toronto, and other prestigious festivals.
**Jumana Al-Rashed's Perspective**
Jumana Al-Rashed, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Red Sea Film Foundation, stated that the selection of "Noura" at a prestigious festival like Cannes represented a "historic moment and a turning point for the foundation and Saudi cinema as a whole," adding that "the achievements we garnered at the latest edition of Cannes are the result of the diligent and ambitious efforts of the team over the past three years." Al-Rashed expressed her gratitude to Mohammed Turki for his effective leadership of the foundation and its team toward this extraordinary historical moment, adding: "We look forward to following his professional journey as one of the prominent names in the film industry and welcoming the new leadership of the foundation alongside the current team led by Executive Director Shivani Bhandia Malhotra."
**Mohammed Turki's Statement**
For his part, Mohammed Turki commented: "I was honored to work with the Red Sea Film Foundation over the past three years to establish the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's position on the global cinema stage," adding: "We reflect on all these achievements as we approach the fourth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival, witnessing its rapid and significant growth over a few years, and now is the right time to transition to my next journey in my professional career." Turki affirmed his desire to continue supporting the team of the foundation under the leadership of Chairperson Jumana Al-Rashed and Executive Director Shivani Bhandia Malhotra.
It is worth mentioning that the fourth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival will be held at the new festival venue "Al-Balad" in historic Jeddah from December 5 to 14, 2024.
