<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first two funding cycles of 2026 drew 916 submissions and support 13 post-production and 17 production projects from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Africa and Asia, including five Saudi titles
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 28 September 2026: The Red Sea Fund, a programme of the Red Sea Film Foundation, has announced 30 selected projects across its first two funding cycles of 2026, drawn from 916 submissions and continuing its year-round commitment to supporting distinctive filmmakers and stories from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Africa and Asia.
Six of the Cycle 1 post-production titles have already premiered internationally. Ben\u2019imana by Marie Cl\u00e9mentine Dusabejambo won the Cam\u00e9ra d\u2019Or at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where it screened in Un Certain Regard alongside Strawberries by La\u00efla Marrakchi. At the Toronto International Film Festival, Angh by Theja Rio won the Platform Award, world premiering alongside Four Seasons in Java by Kamila Andini. Al Baraneya by Ashgan El-Hamus screened in Venice, while L\u00ea B\u1ea3o\u2019s Hearing competed at the Locarno Film Festival.
Cycle 1, dedicated to projects in post-production, received 220 submissions \u2014 the highest number for a post-production cycle since the inception of the Fund, and one of its most competitive to date \u2014 with 13 projects ultimately selected.
Cycle 2, dedicated to projects in production, received 696 submissions, with 17 projects ultimately selected, spanning feature fiction, feature documentary and short fiction.
Five Saudi projects feature among the Cycle 2 selections: Remind Me to Forget by Lama Jamjoom, Green Corpse by Khaled Zidan, Maria\u2019s Mansion by Raed Alsemari, Bait Bahar by Yaser Hammad and Microwave by Mishary Almazyaad.
Faisal Baltyuor, CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation, said: \u201cThese two cycles reflect exactly what the Red Sea Fund is here to do: identify bold, distinctive projects and support filmmakers at critical stages of their journey. The international momentum already building around several Cycle 1 titles is a strong testament to the calibre of the work, and we are excited to see the Cycle 2 projects continue that journey.\u201d
Together, the two cycles reflect the Red Sea Fund\u2019s continued commitment to providing meaningful, year-round support to filmmakers at critical stages of their creative journeys, helping ambitious projects progress from production through completion and ultimately connect with audiences on the international stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Full list of selected projects<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: L\u00ea B\u1ea3o | Producers: Elizabeth Wijaya, Weijie Lai, Thi Bao Yen Huynh | Countries: Vietnam, Singapore, France, Norway, Indonesia, Taiwan, China<\/p>\n\n\n\n Who Stole My Cross?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Park Syeyoung | Producers: Park Syeyoung, Philippe Bober | Countries: South Korea, Germany<\/p>\n\n\n\n Al Baraneya<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Ashgan El-Hamus | Producers: Frank Hoeve, Kesmat El Sayed | Country: Egypt<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ben\u2019imana<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Marie-Cl\u00e9mentine Dusabejambo | Producers: Samantha Biffot, Marie-Epiphanie Uwayezu |<\/p>\n\n\n\n Country: Rwanda<\/p>\n\n\n\n Angh<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Theja Rio | Producers: Nancy Beso, Jai Rodgers | Country: India<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bells of Kabul<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Chabname Zariab | Producers: Lou Chicoteau, Jean-Etienne Brat | Countries: France, Germany,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Belgium<\/p>\n\n\n\n Four Seasons in Java<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Kamila Andini | Producer: Ifa Isfansyah | Country: Indonesia<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grey Glow<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Mich\u00e8le Tyan | Producer: Sabine Sidawi | Countries: Lebanon, France, Qatar<\/p>\n\n\n\n Selvi<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Sailesh Rathnakumar | Producer: Anjali Patil | Country: India<\/p>\n\n\n\n Guardian of the Island<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Sewmehon Yismaw Sendekie | Producer: Tamirat Mekonen Teklu | Country: Ethiopia<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the Donkey Route<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Ahmad Al-Bazz | Producer: Ameen Nayfeh | Countries: Palestine, Canada<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tomorrow Will Be Rain\u2026<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Cemal Alomar | Producers: Orwa Hamadallah, Cemal Alomar | Countries: Syria, Turkey, United<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kingdom<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strawberries<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: La\u00efla Marrakchi | Producers: Sa\u00efd Hamich Benlarbi, Juliette Schrameck, Adria Mon\u00e9s, Elisa<\/p>\n\n\n\n Heene | Countries: Morocco, Spain, France, Belgium<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remind Me to Forget<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Lama Jamjoom | Producers: Mawadda Sallam, Maryam Sindi, Lama Jamjoom | Country: Saudi<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arabia<\/p>\n\n\n\n Daughters of the Sea<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Martika Escobar | Producers: Monster Jimenez, Rajiv Idnani, Alba Sotorra | Country: Philippines<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Northern Bald Ibis<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Ameer Fakher Eldin | Producer: Dorothe Beinemeier | Countries: Germany, Lebanon,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luxembourg<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hum<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan | Producers: Hannah Schierbeek, Alemberg Ang | Country:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Philippines<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pieces<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Imran Hamdulay | Producer: Adam Thal | Country: South Africa<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gaza Forever<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Directors: Tarzan Nasser, Arab Nasser | Producers: Rashid Abdelhamid, Hugo Legrand-Nathan, Yacine<\/p>\n\n\n\n Medkour | Countries: Palestine, Jordan, France<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lotus Feet<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Amanda Eu | Producer: Fei Ling Foo | Country: Malaysia<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Side Effects of Trusting Life<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Ahmad Ghossein | Producer: Georges Schoucair | Countries: Lebanon, Germany, Norway<\/p>\n\n\n\n Green Corpse<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Khaled Zidan | Producer: Bakr Alduhaim | Country: Saudi Arabia<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Scapegoat<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Y\u0131lmaz \u00d6zdil | Producers: Mehmet Akta\u015f, Marylou Ribes, Emre Kay\u0131\u015f | Country: Turkey<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leg<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Shokir Kholikov | Producer: Aigerim Satybaldy | Countries: Kazakhstan, Italy<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Last Oasis<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Zhengyu Shao | Producer: Xiao Xu | Country: China<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maria\u2019s Mansion<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Raed Alsemari | Producers: Amri Rae Cacanindin, Sara Almodaimigh | Country: Saudi Arabia<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let Us Fight<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Eli Maene | Producer: Maisha Maene | Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tarfaya<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Directors: Sofia Alaoui, Annabella Nezri | Producers: Sofia Alaoui, Toufik Ayadi, Christophe Barral,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Annabella Nezri | Country: Morocco<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bait Bahar<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Yaser Hammad | Producers: Mohamed Kordofani, Khalid Awad | Country: Saudi Arabia<\/p>\n\n\n\n Microwave<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Director: Mishary Almazyaad | Producer: Sagda Alnoor | Country: Saudi Arabia<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The first two funding cycles of 2026 drew 916 submissions and support 13 post-production and 17 production projects from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Africa and Asia, including five Saudi titlesJeddah, Saudi Arabia, 28 September 2026: The Red Sea Fund, a programme of the Red Sea Film Foundation, has announced 30 selected projects across its […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":63140,"template":"","class_list":["post-63139","press","type-press","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/redseafilmfest.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press\/63139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/redseafilmfest.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/redseafilmfest.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/press"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redseafilmfest.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/63140"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/redseafilmfest.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}CYCLE 1: POST-PRODUCTION (13 projects)<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
Hearing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
CYCLE 2: PRODUCTION (17 projects)<\/h1>\n\n\n\n