Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — Red Sea International Film Festival has announced its principal partnership with MBC Group, the largest and leading multi-media company in the Middle East and North Africa region. The Red Sea International Film Festival’s opening ceremony on March 12 will be broadcasted on MBC TV.

This partnership comes with several other significant industry initiatives. In partnership with MBC Al Amal, MBC’s CSR arm focused on the empowerment and development of Arab youth, the festival will hold a Shorts Pitch Competition. Ten short film projects will be selected from Saudi and the MENA region, with filmmakers being given a one-day workshop to prepare for a pitching session. Italian director and producer Stefano Tealdi will train the candidates to strengthen their skills and give them tips for better pitches, before they present them at the Red Sea Souk. Upon conclusion of the competition, MBC will award up to four projects.

Mahmoud Sabbagh, Red Sea Film Festival Director, said: “We are delighted to have partnered with MBC Group, to become our official media arm. Besides broadcasting the festival’s activities, we’ve worked hand in hand with them to launch a series of workshops and panels on the sidelines of the festival.”

Peter Smith, Managing Director of MBC Studios said: “Our partnership with the Red Sea International Film Festival comes from MBC’s strong commitment to, and trust in, the talent and creativity of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s youth. We strongly believe that this new generation of talent is key in influencing change and creating the difference to the region’s media and entertainment content landscape, which of course includes independent film and mainstream cinema.”

Smith continued: “MBC already plays a role in shaping the next generation of young Saudi media content creators, through initiatives such as MBC Edutain — which launched its first courses and training workshops in the Kingdom, in early 2019. Needless to say, our partnership with the Red Sea International Film Festival is just one that makes sense — as both of our entities’ goals and visions for the region’s youth in media and film production are ones that perfectly align. We look forward to showcasing our young creatives to the world.”

Furthermore, the festival and MBC Al Amal will host two panels on the future of film making in the region featuring international and local experts, from March 13-18.

Moreover, throughout this partnership, talent days with three workshops per day will take place on March 17-18, to give Saudi scriptwriters, directors and producers the chance of getting one-on-one sessions with Tealdi to help them get tailored and detailed feedback on their work.