Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, July 8, 2026: Films supported by the Red Sea Film Foundation received four honours at the 12th Saudi Film Festival, which took place from June 26 to July 2 at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) in Dhahran.
Three films backed by the Red Sea Fund were recognised during the festival, while the Fund also presented four awards to projects participating in the Production Market.
Hijra, directed by Saudi filmmaker Shahad Ameen, received the Golden Palm for Best Narrative Feature Film. Irkalla: Gilgamesh’s Dream, directed by Iraqi filmmaker Mohamed Al-Daradji, won the Golden Palm for Best GCC Feature Film.
A Matter of Life and Death, directed by Anas Ba-Tahaf, received a Jury Special Mention. Sarah Taibah also won the Golden Palm for Best Acting for her performance in the film.
The recognition highlights the growing presence of Red Sea Fund-supported films across Saudi Arabia and the wider region. The Fund supports projects at different stages of their creative journey, from development and production to festival participation and audience engagement.
The Red Sea Fund also presented four awards at the festival’s Production Market. The short film project awards went to Shareet, directed by Dania Jaber, and Bin Jalmoud, directed by Omar Al-Amirat.
The feature film project awards were presented to From Zero to a Thousand, directed by Hana Saleh Al Fasi, and Between the Two, directed by Malak Quota. The awards are part of the Fund’s efforts to identify promising projects and support filmmakers as they move towards production.
All three Red Sea Fund-supported films were screened as part of the festival programme.
Hijra follows a grandmother and her two granddaughters on a journey from Taif to Makkah. When the eldest granddaughter disappears, the two remaining women begin a search shaped by memory, family, faith and belonging.
A Matter of Life and Death blends romance, comedy and dark fantasy. It follows Hayat, who believes a family curse will end her life on her 30th birthday, and Youssef, a heart surgeon living with an unusually slow heartbeat.
Irkalla: Gilgamesh’s Dream follows a young orphan living on the streets of Baghdad who believes the Tigris River hides a gateway to the underworld, where he may be reunited with his parents.
The Red Sea Fund also took part in a panel discussion on film support and financing opportunities. The session featured Munthir Altuwayrib, Contracts Supervisor at the Red Sea Fund, and Saudi producer Bakr Alduhaim.
The Foundation’s participation reflects its continued engagement with Saudi Arabia’s film sector and its work to support filmmakers across Saudi Arabia and the wider region through initiatives including the Red Sea Fund, Red Sea Souk and Red Sea Labs.
