The Cultural Development Fund (CDF) has announced its sponsorship of the ninth Saudi Film Festival, which will be held in Dhahran from May 4-11, 2023. The event is organized by the Saudi Cinema Association in partnership with the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), and the support of the Film Commission.
The festival will allow guests, from individuals and companies, to have the opportunity to learn about the Film Sector Financing Program’s “lending” stream, which was launched by CDF last March. The program is an initiative of the IGNITE Digital Content Program with a budget of SR 879 million. It primarily targets SMEs, local and international production and distribution companies.
The festival provides a platform for the latest films’ experiences, as well as the most prominent cultural programs through several seminars and workshops. It also enables production companies, producers, and filmmakers to creatively showcase their projects through the Production Market Exhibition. The exhibition allows filmmakers and production companies to promote their projects and connect with other filmmakers in the region.
CDF’s sponsorship of this festival is a continuation of its support of the Kingdom`s film sector and efforts to stimulate its sustainable growth. It is also a testament to its role in empowering the private sector through financing packages to support local content, production, and distribution of films. The Fund also plays a major role in developing the cultural sector by sponsoring cultural projects, facilitating investment, enhancing sector’s profitability to eventually have an impact on improving quality of life.
