The Film AlUla Audience Award and Film AlUla Best Saudi Film Award Aim to Highlight Saudi Talent
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea IFF) is continuing its partnership with Film AlUla for the fourth year in row, with the film entity boarding as strategic partner and official sponsor of the Festival’s upcoming fifth edition, championing two key honours: the Film AlUla Audience Award and the Film AlUla Best Saudi Film Award.
Together, the awards recognise and reward outstanding Saudi filmmakers while deepening audience engagement with home-grown cinema. The Best Saudi Film Award highlights originality, cultural depth, and innovative storytelling that authentically reflect Saudi identity and heritage, strengthening bridges between local creators and the global industry. The Audience Award, celebrates the highest voted film decided by the public via official festival channels, celebrates the powerful dialogue between filmmakers and festivalgoers. Each award carries a US$50,000 grant.
The 2024 recipients of the awards were Lawrence Valin’s Little Jaffna for the Audience Award, and Abdulaziz Alshlahei’s Hobal for the Best Saudi Film Award. Previous winners also includes Norah for Best Saudi Film 2023, directed by Tawfik Alzaidi, which went onto become the first Saudi film selected for the Festival de Cannes, presented at the Un Certain Regard section. This year’s winners will be announced during RSIFF’s Awards Night on 11 December 2025.
Zaid Shaker, Acting Executive Director, Film AlUla, added: “We are proud to reaffirm our sponsorship of the Red Sea International Film Festival in 2025. By championing the Film AlUla Audience Award and the Film AlUla Best Saudi Film Award, we celebrate exceptional creativity while reinforcing AlUla’s position as a premier global filming destination. This collaboration supports local talent, strengthens industry networks, and advances our shared ambition with the Red Sea Film Foundation to deliver lasting cultural and economic impact in line with Vision 2030.”
The Red Sea International Film Festival will take place 4 –13 December 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Red Sea Fund Backs 30 Projects As Cycle 1 Titles Take Cannes’ Caméra D’or And TIFF’s Platform Award
Red Sea Film Foundation Announces The Postponement Of The Sixth Edition Of The Red Sea International Film Festival To 2027
