Saudi Film Commission set to participate at 48th Toronto International Film Festival

The Saudi Film Commission will be at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival when it begins this week, to help boost the profile of the Kingdom’s film industry, highlight the country as an attractive filming destination for international productions, and support the Saudi films appearing at the event, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

The commission is hosting a Saudi pavilion at the festival, which runs from Sept. 7 to 17, in cooperation with a number of national organizations involved in, or with interests in, the film industry, including Al-Ula Film, NEOM, the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (also known as Ithra), the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation, and the Saudi Film Festival.

The contents of the pavilion include a cinematic exhibition highlighting prominent Saudi films that have earned international awards or impressive box office returns.

The Saudi Film Commission said it aims to capitalize on the opportunities offered by TIFF, one of the best-known international film festivals, to highlight the Kingdom’s rapidly growing film industry and its successes so far, and support Saudi talents by showcasing them on major cinematic platforms while creating opportunities to help them develop and grow through effective international partnerships.

The commission added that its presence at the festival reflects the Ministry of Culture’s desire to boost international cultural exchanges, one of its strategic goals under the umbrella of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 development and diversification plan, along with the goal of developing Saudi contributions to art and culture.