European Union Delegation and Arabia Pictures launch the 3rd edition of the European Film Festival in Saudi Arabia
VOX Cinemas will host 21 European films from 29 May to 6 June
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 22 May 2024 – The Delegation of the European Union in Riyadh, in cooperation with the Embassies of the EU Member States and the Arabia Pictures, announces today the 3rd edition of the European Film Festival taking place in Saudi Arabia. The Festival will run from 29 May to 6 June and, for the first time, the Festival will take place both in Riyadh and in Jeddah. The Festival will be hosted at VOX Cinemas Century Corner in Riyadh and at the newly opened VOX Cinemas Jeddah Park in Jeddah.
The Festival is this year bigger than ever featuring 21 European films from different European countries. These include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. The line-up of films includes also several award-winning movies, including Oscars and the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
H.E. Mr. Christophe Farnaud, EU Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, commented: “I am glad that the European Film Festival in Saudi Arabia has become a landmark event on the Kingdom’s cultural calendar. The Festival has been expanding year by year and this time around, we are not only showcasing more movies but also bringing the Festival to Jeddah. I hope that this will allow even more Saudi film enthusiasts to attend the Festival’s many film screenings and side-events.”
Ahmed Teama, CEO of Arabia Pictures, reiterated his delight at extending the collaboration with the European Union Delegation to Saudi Arabia for a third consecutive year. He lauded the European Film Festival as one of the most significant cinematic events in the Kingdom, highlighting its unique appeal that draws a devoted audience of international cinema enthusiasts within Saudi Arabia.
Aimed at facilitating cultural exchange and promoting European cinema, the Festival will also foster contacts between the European and Saudi filmmakers through the organisation of dedicated side-events. Among the guests will be Oscar-winning Austrian film director Stefan Ruzowitzky who will be giving a masterclass at the Festival. The Festival guest list also includes Kyriakos Tofaridis, Mijke de Jong as well as Robert Higgins and Patrick McGivney, from Cyprus, the Netherlands and Ireland, respectively, who will meet the audiences and run an open conversation with filmmakers and film enthusiasts. All side-events are free of charge and will take place at VOX Cinemas Century Corner in Riyadh. Notably, VOX Cinemas is also sponsoring the Festival.
Tickets to all film screenings are 30 SAR. For further information about the Festival’s schedule and for purchasing tickets, please visit: https://arabiapictures.sa/EuroFest or https://ksa.voxcinemas.com
About the European Union Delegation
The Delegation of the European Union to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Sultanate of Oman and the Kingdom of Bahrain opened in Riyadh in 2004. The EU Delegation is also representing the EU vis-à-vis the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Islamic Development Bank. The EU Delegation works on many areas of cooperation between EU and Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain as well as the GCC, including political dialogue, economic and trade issues, regional security, education as well as climate change and transition to green energy/economy.
Read more about us on the EU Delegation’s website / X: @EUintheGCC / Instagram: @EUinKSA / Facebook: @EUinKSA / EU Ambassador’s X: @EUAmbGCC
About Arabia Pictures
Arabia Pictures is a startup company in the entertainment industry specializing in finance, sales, production support, and development of entertainment production. The company believes in investing in human capital and creating a hub for creative talents, where its channels can be used to help create and promote premium content.
About Majid Al Futtaim
Founded in 1992, Majid Al Futtaim is a diversified lifestyle conglomerate spanning 16 countries across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The company employs 46,000 people representing 114 nationalities and welcomes 600 million customers to its shopping malls, communities, retail and entertainment destinations each year. With owned assets valued at US$18 billion, Majid Al Futtaim has the highest credit rating (BBB) among privately-held corporates in the region. The company is committed to becoming Net Positive in water and carbon by 2040.
About Majid Al Futtaim Entertainment
Majid Al Futtaim Entertainment operates the MENA region’s largest cinema exhibitor, VOX Cinemas, which has more than 600 screens. It also has a portfolio of world-class entertainment experiences across the region including Ski Dubai, Ski Egypt, Snow Oman, Dreamscape, Magic Planet, Little Explorers and iFLY Dubai. In addition to being the largest cinema exhibitor in the Middle East, Majid Al Futtaim Entertainment also produces premium Arabic content and serves as a major film distributor for both major and independent studios.
https://maf.am/Majid_Al_Futtaim_EN
https://www.facebook.com/MajidAlFuttaim
https://www.instagram.com/majidalfuttaim
https://www.tiktok.com/@majidalfuttaim
https://www.youtube.com/user/majidalfuttaim
https://twitter.com/majidalfuttaim
https://www.linkedin.com/company/majid-al-futtaim
https://majidalfuttaim.medium.com/
