Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: The Red Sea Film Foundation has strengthened its presence on the global cinema stage after three of its supported films were selected for the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, which will take place from 2 to 12 September 2026. The achievement highlights the Foundation’s growing role in supporting filmmakers from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Asia, and Africa, while reinforcing its commitment to championing original storytelling on the international stage.
Among the films selected for the festival’s Official Selection, Hiwar ma’ albahr (Conversation With The Sea), directed by Muayad Alayan, and Guria, directed by Levan Koguashvili, will be showcased in the Venezia Spotlight section. Both projects received support through the Red Sea Fund, while Guria was also backed by the Red Sea Souk.
Meanwhile, La maison du vent (House of the Wind), directed by Auguste Bernard Kouemo Yanghu, has secured a place in the prestigious Orizzonti Competition. The film was also supported through the Red Sea Fund.
Beyond the festival’s official screenings, the Foundation has made a significant impact at the Venice Production Bridge, the festival’s industry platform that connects filmmakers with international producers, financiers, distributors, and industry professionals. A total of eight Red Sea-supported projects have been selected across two of its major programmes, bringing the Foundation’s overall representation at this year’s Venice International Film Festival and Venice Production Bridge to 11 films and projects.
Three Red Sea-supported projects have been selected for the Venice Gap-Financing Market, which focuses on projects in the final stages of development and financing. The selected titles are Don’t Let the Sun Go Up on Me, directed by Asmae El Moudir; Holiday, directed by Wissam Charaf; and Wolfmother, directed by Ismaël El Iraki. All three projects received support from both the Red Sea Fund and the Red Sea Souk. They are among the 38 fiction and documentary projects chosen for the 2026 edition of the market.
The Foundation has also secured a strong presence in Final Cut in Venice, a programme dedicated to presenting works in progress to producers, distributors, festival programmers, and post-production companies. Five of the six films selected for the programme have been supported by the Red Sea Film Foundation.
The selected films include A Quarter to Thursday, directed by Sofia Djama, supported through the Red Sea Souk and Red Sea Labs; Eldorado, The Taste of the South, directed by Alaa Eddine Aljem; Mehal Sefari, directed by Abraham Gezahagne; Occupational Hazards, directed by Bassel Ghandour; and Plague, directed by Youssef Chebbi. The latter four projects were all backed by the Red Sea Fund.
The selections underline the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to supporting filmmakers throughout every stage of their creative journey. Through initiatives including the Red Sea Fund, Red Sea Souk, and Red Sea Labs, the Foundation provides funding, mentorship, industry access, production support, post-production opportunities, and international exposure for emerging and established filmmakers alike.
As the Red Sea Film Foundation continues expanding its global footprint, its strong representation at the Venice International Film Festival reflects the growing recognition of the region’s filmmakers and the Foundation’s role in bringing diverse voices and compelling stories to audiences around the world.
