A blow to the end-of-year festival calendar: the sixth Red Sea International Film Festival, planned for 3–12 December 2026 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has been postponed to the end of 2027. New dates have not yet been announced.
According to the Red Sea Film Foundation, the decision followed a review of the timing and logistics of an international event of this scale. The announcement comes amid regional tensions, although the foundation did not explicitly link the two.
In practical terms, 2026 film submissions and accreditations are closed, and the Red Sea Souk industry market will not run this year. Several Arab filmmakers who planned regional premieres at the festival now have to rethink their plans.
The Red Sea Fund and Red Sea Labs, which support film projects, continue all year round, and regular programming is due to start in November in Jeddah's historic district.
