JEDDAH: The Red Sea Fund, a programme of the Red Sea Film Foundation, has announced 30 selected projects across its first two funding cycles of 2026, drawn from 916 submissions and continuing its year-round commitment to supporting distinctive filmmakers and stories from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Africa and Asia.
Cycle 1, dedicated to projects in post-production, received 220 submissions, the highest number for a post-production cycle since the inception of the fund, and one of its most competitive to date, with 13 projects ultimately selected, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Cycle 2, dedicated to projects in production, received 696 submissions, with 17 projects ultimately selected, spanning feature fiction, feature documentary and short fiction.
Five Saudi projects feature among the Cycle 2 selections: Remind Me to Forget by Lama Jamjoom, Green Corpse by Khaled Zidan, Maria’s Mansion by Raed Alsemari, Bait Bahar by Yaser Hammad and Microwave by Mishary Almazyaad.
Several of the Cycle 1 post-production titles have already premiered internationally. Ben’imana won the Caméra d’Or at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it screened in Un Certain Regard alongside Strawberries.
At the Toronto International Film Festival, Angh won the Platform Award, world premiering alongside Four Seasons in Java. Other films also screened in Venice and at the Locarno Film Festival.
CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation Faisal Baltyuor said: “These two cycles reflect exactly what the Red Sea Fund is here to do: identify bold, distinctive projects and support filmmakers at critical stages of their journey. The international momentum already building around several Cycle 1 titles is a strong testament to the calibre of the work, and we are excited to see the Cycle 2 projects continue that journey.”
