Overview
The Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) is a major international festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, focused on Arab, Asian, and African cinema. The sixth edition runs December 3 to 12, 2026, in the historic Al-Balad district, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. RSIFF offers some of the largest cash prizes on the festival circuit: $100,000 for the Golden Yusr Best Feature Film, $30,000 for the Silver Yusr, and $25,000 for Best Short Film. The Red Sea Souk, the festival's industry market, runs December 6 to 10 and connects Arab and international filmmakers with sales agents, distributors, and financiers.
The fifth edition (December 4 to 13, 2025) drew 40,000 attendees and nearly 7,000 accredited guests. It screened 122 films from 85 countries, including 61 premieres, across 302 screenings. The 2025 jury was headed by Sean Baker, with members including Riz Ahmed, Naomie Harris, Olga Kurylenko, and Nadine Labaki. The Golden Yusr went to Lost Land by Akio Fujimoto, a Rohingya-language refugee drama that premiered in Venice's Horizons section. The Silver Yusr went to All That's Left of You by Cherien Dabis, Jordan's Oscar submission.
RSIFF accepts submissions from Arab, Asian, and African filmmakers residing anywhere in the world. The festival is backed by Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiative, which has driven unprecedented investment in the country's entertainment sector after a 35-year cinema ban that ended in 2018.
Submission Details
Submissions open on April 26, 2026, via the RSIFF submissions portal. The deadline is August 2, 2026, at 11:59 PM KSA time. Film selections are announced by mid-October.
Submission fees:
- Early bird: Free for all submissions until July 7, 2026
- Regular (from July 7): 100 SAR (VAT inclusive) for shorts, 200 SAR (VAT inclusive) for features
Eligibility:
- Open to Arab, Asian, and African filmmakers residing anywhere in the world
- Narrative, documentary, and animation films are accepted
- Festival programmers reserve the right to assign submitted films to any section or competition, regardless of the category initially applied for
Ticket prices for public screenings:
- Regular ticket: 45 SAR
- Auditorium (Red Carpet) ticket: 80 SAR
- Student ticket (with valid ID, purchased at physical box office): 35 SAR
- In-Conversation events: 120 SAR
Key Sections
- Red Sea: Competition - features from Asia and Africa (including the Arab world) competing for the Yusr Awards. Narrative, documentary, and animation are all eligible
- Red Sea: Shorts Competition - films under 60 minutes from the Arab world, Asia, and Africa, across narrative, documentary, and animation
- International Spectacular - celebrated auteurs and international filmmaking icons, screened for the first time in the Arab world
- Arab Spectacular - commercial and independent Arab films, award winners, and regional premieres
- Festival Favorites - international hits from the festival circuit, curated by the festival team
- Red Sea: Series - Saudi premieres of episodic storytelling, up to two episodes from television, streaming, or web platforms
- Red Sea Souk - the industry co-production and financing market (December 6 to 10), including the Project Market, Souk Talks, and Souk Talents
What Filmmakers Should Know
RSIFF is one of the best-funded festivals in the world. The Yusr Awards total over $200,000 in cash prizes across feature and short competitions. The Golden Yusr for Best Feature Film carries $100,000, making it one of the largest single cash prizes on the international festival circuit. The Silver Yusr carries $30,000, and the Yusr Jury Prize carries $10,000. Additional awards include Best Director ($10,000), Best Screenplay ($10,000), Best Actor, Best Actress, and Cinematic Achievement.
The Red Sea Souk is the festival's industry arm and the primary reason distributors and sales agents attend. It runs December 6 to 10 and includes the Project Market (co-production meetings for works in progress), Souk Connections (networking), Souk Talks (industry panels), and the Feature Films Program (Red Sea Labs, which selects 12 projects for development support). The Souk is where acquisition deals for Arab and international content are negotiated, and where co-production financing is structured.
For international filmmakers, RSIFF offers access to a rapidly growing market. Saudi Arabia's cinema network has expanded from zero screens in 2018 to hundreds of multiplexes, and the country's youthful, media-hungry population makes it one of the most significant emerging theatrical territories. The festival's December timing places it after the major fall European festivals (Venice, Toronto, San Sebastian) and before Sundance, giving it a clear window in the awards season calendar.
Filmmakers should research current Saudi cultural content guidelines before submitting. The festival operates within the framework of Vision 2030's cultural opening, but content restrictions remain in effect for certain themes and imagery.
Major Awards
Feature Film Competition (Yusr Awards):
- Golden Yusr Best Feature Film - $100,000 prize
- Silver Yusr Feature Film - $30,000 prize
- Yusr Jury Prize - $10,000 prize
- Yusr Best Director - $10,000 prize
- Yusr Best Screenplay - $10,000 prize
- Yusr Best Actor
- Yusr Best Actress
- Yusr Cinematic Achievement
- Film AlUla Best Saudi Film Award
Short Film Competition:
- Golden Yusr Best Short Film - $25,000 prize
- Silver Yusr Short Film - $12,500 prize
2025 winners:
- Golden Yusr Best Feature: Lost Land (Akio Fujimoto, Japan/Malaysia)
- Silver Yusr: All That's Left of You (Cherien Dabis, Jordan/Palestine)
- Yusr Jury Prize: Hijra (Shahad Ameen, Saudi Arabia) - also won Film AlUla Best Saudi Film
- Best Director: Ameer Fakher Eldin for Yunan
- Best Actor: Georges Khabbaz for Yunan
- Best Actress: Seo Su-Bin for The World of Love
- Golden Yusr Best Short: Coyotes (Said Zagha, Palestine/France/Jordan/UK)
Honorary awards in 2025 were given to Darren Aronofsky, Idris Elba, Anthony Hopkins, and Saudi filmmaker Ahd Kamel.
Festival History
RSIFF launched its inaugural edition in 2021, coinciding with the reopening of Saudi cinema after a 35-year ban. The festival is a flagship project of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia's strategic framework for diversifying its economy and developing its cultural sector. The country's first commercial cinema opened in 2018, and RSIFF was established three years later as the centerpiece of the new entertainment infrastructure.
The festival moved to its permanent home in Al-Balad, historic Jeddah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fifth edition in 2025 set attendance records with 40,000 attendees and 7,000 accredited guests. The festival has attracted major international figures including Spike Lee (who headed the 2024 jury), Sean Baker (2025 jury head), Johnny Depp, Shailene Woodley, and Salman Khan.
RSIFF's growth has been driven by substantial Saudi government backing through the Film Commission and the Red Sea Film Foundation. The festival's $100,000 top prize exceeds the cash awards of most established European festivals, and the Red Sea Souk has become a significant industry market for Arab and African content acquisition and co-production financing.
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
Lost Land (2025, dir. Akio Fujimoto) won the Golden Yusr for Best Feature Film at RSIFF 2025. The film premiered in the Venice Horizons section before its Red Sea win. Rediance handled international sales, and the film secured Japanese distribution through E.x.N K.K. for a 2026 theatrical release.
All That's Left of You (2025, dir. Cherien Dabis) won the Silver Yusr at RSIFF 2025. The film premiered at Sundance and was selected as Jordan's official Oscar submission. Watermelon Pictures distributed the film in US theaters starting January 2026, with a limited release that earned strong critical reception.
Yunan (2025, dir. Ameer Fakher Eldin) won Best Director and Best Actor at RSIFF 2025. The film had its world premiere at the Berlinale. The director's previous film The Stranger was Palestine's Oscar submission, and Yunan continued his trajectory with distribution across European arthouse markets.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
RSIFF accepts submissions only from Arab, Asian, and African filmmakers residing anywhere in the world. If your film does not have a director or producer from these regions, it is not eligible. Check the eligibility criteria carefully before paying the submission fee.
The early bird deadline offers free submissions until July 7. Submit before this date to avoid the 100 SAR short film fee or 200 SAR feature fee. The festival does not offer fee waivers beyond the early bird period, so plan your submission timing accordingly.
RSIFF programmers can assign your film to any section regardless of the category you applied for. This means a film submitted to the competition may end up in International Spectacular or Festival Favorites. Do not assume your submission category determines your screening section.
The Red Sea Souk runs separately from the film festival and has its own submission process. If you have a project in development or a work in progress, apply to the Souk's Project Market rather than the film competition. The Souk is where co-production financing and acquisition deals are negotiated.
Industry Reputation Notes
RSIFF is the most significant film festival in the Middle East. Industry professionals compare it to the Cairo International Film Festival and the Marrakech International Film Festival. Cairo has a longer history, but RSIFF has larger cash prizes and a more active industry market through the Red Sea Souk.
The festival's $100,000 top prize exceeds the cash awards of most established European festivals. This has drawn attention from sales agents and producers who previously focused only on Venice, Toronto, and San Sebastian. The December timing gives RSIFF a clear window after the fall European festivals and before Sundance.
RSIFF's rapid growth since 2021 has generated both enthusiasm and skepticism in the industry. Supporters point to the festival's role in building Saudi Arabia's emerging cinema sector. Critics note that the festival's programming depth is still developing compared to festivals with decades of curatorial history. The 2025 edition with 40,000 attendees and 7,000 accredited guests demonstrated continued growth in both audience and industry engagement.
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See Also
To calculate the return on your festival submission spending, use the Festival ROI Calculator. To estimate your probability of acceptance based on festival tier and film characteristics, use the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For festival strategy guidance, see Film Festival Strategy. For understanding Middle Eastern cinema markets, see International Film Markets. For distribution deals that originate at festival markets, see Distribution Deals Explained.
