Red Sea Intl Film Festival Spotlights Saudi Cinema With 21 New Films

The Red Sea International Film Festival, running from December 5th to the 14th in Jeddah, will spotlight Saudi Arabia’s growing film industry through its ‘New Saudi, New Cinema’ programme. Featuring 21 diverse films, this segment showcases the emerging talents of Saudi filmmakers, reflecting the country’s evolving cultural identity and modern societal themes.

Among the standout films in this year’s lineup are ‘A Mosquito’, an animated short about a mosquito’s dream of becoming a famous singer; ‘The Dreamer Dreams’, an animated tale set in pre-Islamic Arabia; and ‘Underground’, a documentary about Saudi musicians’ struggles.

Other highlights include ‘Khamsen’, a tense thriller about a life-or-death game of Carrom; ‘The Extraordinary Misadventures of the Amazing Boy Super-Blurry’, a whimsical black-and-white comedy; and ‘Sugar’, which explores the grief of a family’s loss.

Audiences will also see ‘Does It Hurt Too Bad to Look at Me?’, a reflective story about self-discovery and relationship dynamics, and ‘Afen’, a social commentary on the dangers of viral fame.