Red Sea Film Festival Managing Director Shivani Pandya Malhotra took a break from her busy schedule at this year’s third edition of the festival to come into Deadline’s Red Sea Studio and shed light on how this year’s edition has been unfolding since it began on November 30.
Pandya Malhotra noted that accreditation numbers were 30% higher than last year and said that growth across all areas of the festival and souk was encouraging.
“We’ve got a lot of different people coming from the region and from outside,” she said. “Our souk has grown – which is the film market – we’ve had more exhibition stands, more people there, more networking sessions. All the conferences are full, all the panel discussions have been full. The audiences in the theaters have been great. It’s been really busy, and everybody seems to be having a good time.”
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Pandya Malhotra said she is particularly proud of the work the Red Sea Labs, the first initiative the Red Sea Film Foundation started, which aims to promote and celebrate a new generation of storytellers from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world and Africa. “We’ve got a few success stories,” she said. “Inshallah Boy, which came out of the labs premiered in Cannes and it’s with us now [for example]. It’s the Oscar selection for Jordan so it’s a beautiful story for us.”
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When pressed upon what she would say to international executives from abroad who still might have trepidation of traveling to Saudi Arabia, Pandya Malhotra said: “I think word of mouth is really important. I think they should speak to their colleagues and people that they know that have come down. People always have different perceptions and ideas – all of us do – it’s always the unknown.”
She added: “I can assure you that most people have had a good trip, have met new people, have made discoveries that they wouldn’t have made at other festivals.”
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