The Red Sea Film Foundation, which organizes the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, announced a leadership update on Wednesday, including the transfer of Mohammed Al Turki from his CEO role to an adviser.
„Al Durki will continue to support the leadership team as he returns to focus on personal projects and his career as an independent filmmaker and entrepreneur,” it said. “The selection of a successor is underway and in the interim, former board member of the Red Sea Film Foundation, Mohammad Azeri Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Trust.
The Red Sea Film Foundation recently hosted a major Cannes Film Festival in which four titles were supported by the organization selected for the festival. This includes Tawfiq Alsaidi NoraIt had its world premiere at the Red Sea International Film Festival in December, making history by becoming the first Saudi film to be selected to screen as part of the Cannes Official Selection.
Since its inception, the Red Sea Film Foundation has supported more than 250 projects from Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
“We celebrated a watershed moment in Cannes with the screening Nora, it was a milestone for the foundation and for Saudi cinema as a whole,” said Zomana Alrashid, president of the Red Sea Film Foundation. “As we leave the Cannes Film Festival, we look back at the past three years and the building blocks worked tirelessly by the team at the Red Sea Film Foundation, and share our gratitude to key player Mohamed Alturki. In leading the team and the Foundation to where it is today.”
Added the chair: „We look forward to continuing his career as one of Saudi’s most prominent film executives.”
Al Turki said: “It has been an honor and a privilege to work with the foundation on these three editions of the festival and cement Saudi Arabia’s place on the global stage in the film industry. We’ve achieved so much, and on the eve of our fourth edition – we’re in a position we could only have dreamed of a few years ago – and that’s why I feel the time is right for a change.
Both praised the work of Managing Director Shivani Pandya Malhotra.
The fourth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival will be held in Jeddah from December 5-14.