DHAHRAN: Film stars from around the Kingdom dazzled on the red carpet at the opening ceremony for the 12th Saudi Film Festival on Friday night.
The longest-running celebration of film in the Kingdom, the festival has since its launch in 2008 become a key showcase and driver of Saudi and Gulf cinema, and is now an annual event.
The opening ceremony took place at the Dhahran headquarters of the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, also known as Ithra, which organizes the festival in partnership with the Cinema Association and with the support of the Saudi Film Commission.
Abdulrahman Alghannam, chairperson of the Cinema Association welcomed the crowd to the event, saying: “It is our pleasure to present to you, with love, a journey through the world of cinema, in our renewed annual tradition.
“The journey of the Saudi Film Festival began with a story that believed that films have a role that transcends the screen, preserving memories, pausing to reflect, and giving people the opportunity to see themselves and the world around them.”
This message reflected the theme of this year’s festival, “Cinema of the Journey,” which organizers said will offer a curated selection of Arab and international films, shorts and features, that explore the idea of journeys and movement as essential elements in storytelling.
The program includes road movies, travel narratives and films in which physical or emotional journeys drive the plot, as Saudi filmmakers explore this theme from their own perspectives.
Building on successful programs in previous years that highlighted non-Saudi cinema, including a celebration of Japanese film last year, the 2026 event features a “Spotlight on Korean Cinema.”
Each year the festival also honors a Saudi pioneer in cinema; this year, the director Haifaa Al-Mansour has been chosen to receive the special award.
The festival continues with daily events, workshops and screenings at the Ithra headquarters until July 2, when the Golden Palm Awards will be presented to honorees in a number of categories. For further information and to purchase tickets, visit the Ithra website.
