Taking place from 4–13 December 2025, submissions are now open for filmmakers from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Africa, and Asia.
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – 06 May 2025: Submissions for the 5th edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea IFF) are now officially open. The festival is set to take place from 4–13 December 2025 in the vibrant historic district of Al Balad, Jeddah.
Filmmakers, producers, and distributors from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Africa, and Asia are invited to submit their films from now until 17 August 2025, with an early bird window running until 7 July 2025. Submissions are open across the Red Sea: Competition and Red Sea: Shorts Competition sections, in addition to the New Saudi/New Cinema section, which champions the next generation of filmmaking talent from Saudi Arabia.
Now in its fifth edition, the Red Sea IFF continues to build on a remarkable journey of cinematic celebration and industry impact. Since its inception, the festival has showcased over 520 films from 85 countries, hosted more than 160 global premieres, and spotlighted over 130 Saudi films — reflecting its ongoing commitment to elevating local storytelling and fostering international exchange through the language of cinema.
The selected films will compete for the prestigious Yusr Awards, including the Golden Yusr for Best Feature Film with a prize of $100,000, in addition to awards for Best Director, Jury Prize, and Golden Yusr for Best Short Film.
Shivani Pandya Malhotra, Managing Director of the Red Sea Film Foundation, said: ““This year, we take great pride in marking the fifth anniversary of the Red Sea International Film Festival – a journey through which the Festival has firmly established itself as a distinctive force within the cinematic landscape, both locally and internationally. Having showcased over 520 films from 85 countries, the Festival stands today as a vital platform for cultural exchange and compelling storytelling. As we open submissions for our fifth edition, we warmly invite filmmakers from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Africa, and Asia to present their work and contribute to this growing cinematic dialogue.”
During the early bird submission period, projects can be submitted at no cost, with the regular price for submissions starting on July 7th, with 100SAR (VAT inclusive) for shorts and 200SAR (VAT inclusive) for Features. For more information and to submit your project, please visit: https://fms.redseafilmfest.com/website/login.php?lang=en
Submissions are open for the following sections:
Red Sea: Competition
The competition values all cinematic forms, from narrative to animation and documentary, featuring works from Asia and Africa, including the Arab world. It presents challenging cinematic works with innovative filmmaking and great storytelling by emerging and established voices, celebrated with generous prizes awarded by an international jury.
Red Sea: Shorts Competition
Featuring works of less than 60 minutes from Asia and Africa, including the Arab world, the competition values cinematic works that offer fresh takes and new ideas that tell compelling, diverse and innovative stories in the short film form. Presenting daring productions by emerging and established voices, it’s the place to discover something new and connect with next-generation creators that push limits across fiction and documentary, with generous prizes awarded by an international jury.
New Saudi/New Cinema
A curated introduction to the most vital new filmmakers and artists from Saudi Arabia. Diverse and dynamic, the voices shaping the scene; from arthouse features and shorts to documentaries, these are the films primed for launch on the international circuit.
About Red Sea International Film Festival
Red Sea International Film Festival provides a platform for Arab filmmakers and industry professionals from around the world to connect, host feature and short film competitions, and present a series of events, masterclasses, and workshops to support emerging talent. Running during the Festival is the Red Sea Souk, the Festival’s industry market, designed for global exchange and partnerships between the international and Saudi film industries. The five-day market will offer a packed program of curated events to foster co-production, international distribution, and new business opportunities. The Souk offers unbeatable access to the new vibrant Saudi scene, as well as the best of the Arab market, through pitching sessions, one-on-one meetings, screenings, industry talks, and networking events.