The Saudi Film Commission is expected to debut its new industry event, the Saudi Film Confex, in Riyadh in October. 

 

Running from October 1 to 4 in BLVD Expo, the four-day conference and exhibition will lay the foundations for the kingdom’s future film industry ventures and will attract the world’s leading filmmakers, producers, directors, investors, and media.

 

Saudi Film Confex will encompass pillars that support activities and interests in the Kingdom, with the goal of enhancing the industry’s presence and promoting the economic value of film industry. Featuring the participation of various entities to showcase their services and innovation, curated workshops, and six interactive zones, the event is underpinned the growing economic role of the film industry in Saudi Arabia.

 

The venue boasts 40,000 sq m of exhibition space, catering for over 100 exhibitors, 50 keynote speakers. Three main topics will be addressed throughout Saudi Film Confex, including industry trends, global practices, and challenges and opportunities in filmmaking. Thoughtfully designed workshops will be spread over three days, featuring practical training sessions led by specialists in the film industry’s value chain.

 

The following six activity ‘zones’ will also be set up to represent various themes in the industry:

• Inspirational Zone: where top creators will share their journeys and big-picture trends in the industry;

• Innovation Zone: to display cutting-edge technology and new product concepts;

• Destination Gallery: showcasing the most unique shooting locations in the Kingdom;

• Interactive Activities: This area focuses on empowering talented and budding filmmakers by providing interactive platforms and new technologies to unleash their ideas, work to support their talent, and enable their performance; 

• Experience Zone: introducing recent developments and trends in filmmaking to visitors; 

• Business Zone: To initiate agreements, hold meetings, and launching partnerships.

 

Abdullah Al Eyaf, CEO of the Film Commission, said: “The highly anticipated debut of Saudi Film Confex marks an important milestone for the local film industry, especially as the Kingdom continues to see increased interest around its entertainment capacity and offerings. The conference will provide a platform for both regional and international industry players to connect and will serve as an urban foundation for the collective creation of new techniques and technologies. We are excited to see how the event will impact the evolution of filmmaking in Saudi Arabia and around the world.” - TradeArabia News Service