Red Sea Festival 2025: Project Market Awards and Judging Panels
In a move that reinforces the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s position as a leading global destination in the film industry, the Red Sea International Film Festival announced the approval of the jury members for the “Project Market” of the Red Sea Market, as part of the intensive preparations for the events of its fifth edition scheduled to be held in the historic city of Jeddah from December 4 to 13, 2025. This step comes as a continuation of the festival’s journey in supporting cinematic creativity and providing a real platform for emerging talents.
Strategic support for the film industry
Since its inception, the Red Sea Film Festival has been more than just a film showcase; it has become a major driver of film production in the region. The Red Sea Market is the festival's heart, bringing together filmmakers with international financing, production, and distribution partners. Newly appointed committees undertake the rigorous task of evaluating participating film projects and selecting the winners of the Market's awards, which have gained international recognition as among the most prestigious project development awards in the Middle East and Africa.
This year's edition offers 28 diverse awards covering multiple categories, including projects in development, works in progress, and television series. This generous support targets filmmakers from the Arab world, Africa, and Asia, with the total value of the prize money exceeding two million Saudi Riyals. This reflects the foundation's commitment to providing the necessary funding to transform creative ideas into visual works that can compete internationally.
International partnerships and a future vision
The awards are not limited to direct financial support from the Red Sea Fund and the jury, but also include prizes presented by international partners from various sectors of the film industry, opening up broad horizons for collaboration and the exchange of expertise. In this context, the festival's general manager, Shivani Pandya Malhotra, explained that these awards play a pivotal role in supporting emerging and established cinematic talent, emphasizing that hosting a distinguished group of local and international jurors will enrich the professional experience of the participants and set them on the right path to international recognition.
For his part, the festival's CEO, Faisal Baltayour, emphasized that the market awards represent a cornerstone of the Red Sea Film Foundation's strategy, which aims to support the industry throughout the year, not just during the festival. He noted that the significant expansion of market activities enhances integration between the stages of film development, financing, and distribution, thus contributing to the cultural dynamism witnessed in the Kingdom as part of Vision 2030.
The Market Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on December 10, 2025, amid great anticipation from the film community to find out which names will have the opportunity to launch onto the big screen with the support of one of the most important film festivals in the region.
