The fund aims to help Saudi filmmakers who have sustained a financial loss resulting from cancelled/postponed events related to the coronavirus precautionary measures.
The non-profit Red Sea International Film Festival Foundation has launched a fund of SAR200,000 ($53,284.45) in the form of emergency community relief grants to support Saudi filmmakers.
All Saudis working in the film industry are eligible to the one-time emergency grant of up to SAR5,000 ($1,332.11) on merit basis. Applications will be open until the fund is exhausted.
Established in 2018 and chaired by Minister of Culture, Prince Badr bin Farhan Al Saud, the Foundation champions the Kingdom’s cinema and cultural scene by nurturing audience engagement, supporting filmmakers and strengthening the film industry.
The inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival was also postponed due to concerns around the spread of the coronavirus. The festival was set to kick off on March 12-21 in Jeddah.
The festival organisers said that they will be deciding on new dates for 2020 “as soon as feasible” and renewing their commitment to their goals and plans.
