Red Sea International Film Festival Opens Submissions for 2026
Jeddah, Film Submissions Open Until 2 August 2026
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The Red Sea International Film Festival has opened submissions for its sixth edition, returning to Jeddah from 3 to 12 December 2026. The festival will be held at its new headquarters in Al Balad, the historic district that has become part of its public identity.
The call is open to films by Arab, Asian, and African filmmakers, whether they are based in the region or living elsewhere. It is one of the festival’s main entry points for new cinema from across these geographies.
Submissions are open in three sections: Red Sea Competition, Red Sea Shorts Competition, and New Saudi Cinema Features and Shorts. The festival accepts fiction, documentary, and animation films, while the Saudi section focuses on work by Saudi filmmakers and residents of Saudi Arabia.
The rules also make the premiere status clear. Films must be produced in 2025 or 2026, and titles submitted to the main competition and shorts competition must be Middle East and North Africa premieres. Feature films must be 60 minutes or longer, while short films must be 59 minutes or under.
Early submissions are free until 7 July 2026. After that date, the regular fee is 100 SAR for short films (around USD 27) and 200 SAR for feature films (around USD 53). The final deadline is 2 August 2026 at 11:59 pm KSA time.
Selected films in the Red Sea Competition and Red Sea Shorts Competition will compete for the Yusr Awards. These include the Golden Yusr for Best Feature Film, with a prize of USD 100,000, and the Golden Yusr for Best Short Film, with a prize of USD 25,000.
Submissions must be made through the festival’s online system. Applicants are asked to provide a private online viewing link, as the festival does not accept DVDs or physical viewing copies for the submission stage.
Deadline for submissions: 2 August 2026, 11:59 pm KSA time
Contact: submissions@redseafilmfest.com
Official website: https://redseafilmfest.com/en/film-submissions/
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