The Red Sea International Film Festival has announced that it is once again joining forces with MBC GROUP — the largest and leading media company in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). MBC GROUP returns as Festival partner for the second edition set to take place December 1 — 10, 2022.

Given the exceptional scope of this global cinematic event in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, this major partnership is of strategic importance to the Red Sea International Film Festival, which brings together and celebrates the best of local, Arab, and international cinema in Jeddah.

As part of its partnership with MBC GROUP, the Red Sea International Film Festival will collaborate with its Festivalpartner to promote film culture and enable audiences across the Arab world and beyond to discover the cinematic masterpieces that will be revealed at the Festival.

As part of its mission to contribute to developing the growing film industry in the Kingdom, MBC GROUP will play an integral part in the conduction of various mentorship and training sessions at the “Talent Days” Festival program, scheduled to take place December 7 — 8, 2022. Comprising workshops, keynote speeches, panel discussions and more, Talent Days is designed to develop and equip aspiring and emerging producers, scriptwriters, and filmmakers in the regionwith the tools and knowledge needed to excel in the film industry. The program will cover a wide range of issues relating to the industry courtesy of renowned local, regional, and international experts.

Commenting on the partnership with MBC Group, Mohammed Al Turki, CEO of the Red Sea International Film Festival, stated: 'Cinema mirrors society and impacts it, and can be leveraged to drive forward positive change. 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.'

Sam Barnett, CEO of MBC GROUP, added: “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 GROUPare 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.”

As mentioned earlier, the strategic partnership also extends to awards at the Red Sea Souk. Shahid, the world’s leading Arabic streaming platform by MBC GROUP and MBC ACADEMY,will present awards to three Red Sea Souk and Red Sea Lodge selected projects by Saudi and Arab directors. The awards will amount to $120,000 for the first winner; $70,000 for the second; and $40,000 for the third, and will serve in the development and production of the film projects.