Mohammed Al Turki to chair Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Fest committee

Saudi producer Mohammed Al Turki has been named the Chairman of the Festival Committee for the upcoming Red Sea International Film Festival, set to be the biggest festival in the Gulf.

The festival itself has moved its inaugural edition to December 2021. It was initially supposed to kick off in the spring of 2020, but was forced to delay due to the pandemic.

“Mohammed Al-Turki is an internationally renowned producer from Saudi Arabia who has successfully bridged the entertainment gap between ‘East and West’ and carved a career that spans over 10 years in both Hollywood and the Arab world,” said the festival on social media.

Al Turki most recently produced Crisis starring Gary Oldman, which was the first film in his career of more than a decade to premiere in his home country of Saudi Arabia.

Al Turki has produced many popular films in the past, including 99 Homes, Arbitradge, and At Any Price, working with such stars as Richard Gere, Michael Shannon and Andrew Garfield.

Al Turki appeared on the first edition of Esquire Saudi, and spoke about his career thus far, what he has planned next, and Saudi Arabia’s transformation into the number one market for cinematic releases.

“As Saudi is the biggest country in the GCC, I believe this will change the game when it comes to Middle East box office revenue,” Al Turki told Esquire Middle East.

“The amount of cinemas opening up shows that the demand is there, and soon I won’t be surprised if we’re seeing the country host Middle East premieres with international casts flying over for the big blockbusters.”

Read the full interview here.

Al Turki is currently representing Saudi Arabia at the Cannes Film Festival in Southern France, where he attended the opening night premiere of Annette, directed by Leo Carax and starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard.