The Red Sea Film Festival cancelled its 2026 edition and plans to return in the fourth quarter of 2027 with a renewed vision after a logistical timing review.
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival announced the cancellation of its sixth edition, which had been slated for Dec. 3‑12, 2026. A press release said the decision follows a comprehensive review of timing and logistical requirements for staging an international event of this scale and reflects the Red Sea Foundation’s commitment to holding the festival under the right conditions.
The release indicated the festival will resume in the fourth quarter of 2027 with a "renewed vision" and a program that continues to celebrate cinema from Saudi Arabia, the region and worldwide. The Red Sea Fund and Red Sea Labs will remain active, and a year‑round program at Culture Square in Jeddah is slated to launch in November as an ongoing destination for film screenings and industry events.
The cancellation is believed to have been taken by Saudi Culture Minister Prince Badr Bin Abdullah Bin Farhan. It comes after the departure in June of the festival’s general manager, former Dubai Film Festival manager Shivani Pandya Malhotra, whose position remains vacant. Sources suggest a clash between CEO Faisal Baltyuor’s vision and the former manager’s operating mode, but the exact impact on future leadership is unclear.
Uncertainty remains about the precise schedule for the 2027 edition, the appointment of a new general manager, and where Arab films slated for regional premieres at the cancelled 2026 festival will be shown, with potential alternatives mentioned but not confirmed.