Red Sea Film Festival cancelled, Dubai Film Festival returns in 2027
The Saudi festival's cancellation comes with an unexpected revival in Dubai for 2027.
Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah was suddenly cancelled last week. The decision sparked a lot of discussion in the industry. At the same time, the long-gone Dubai Film Festival announced its return in 2027, with a program that will overlap that of the Red Sea. According to several sources, the instability of the festival circuit reflects the failure of a Hollywood-led image-cleaning campaign, deemed too costly for Middle East investors and not profitable. Media consultant Mazen Hayek explains that Riyadh now prioritises projects such as Expo 2030 and the 2034 World Cup, thus cutting spending on a film festival.