Saudi Film Festival Postponed From April To June-July Dates As Iran War Rumbles On

The 12th edition of the Saudi Film Festival, which was due to have taken place in Saudi Arabia‘s Eastern Province city of Dhahran from April 23 to 29, has been postponed to June 25 to July 1.

No reason was given in a statement released on Thursday announcing the postponement, but it comes as Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbors continue to be caught in the crosshairs of the Israel-US war on Iran, with the latter sending hundreds of missiles and drones in their direction.

Deadline has contacted the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), which organizes and hosts the event in partnership with the country’s Cinema Association with the support of the Saudi Film Commission, for clarification.

In the meantime, the festival has said it is pushing on with preparation for the 12th edition which is due to unfold under the theme of “Cinema of the Journey,” with the slogan “For Every Story, A Journey”.

Founded under the radar in 2008, prior to the lifting of Saudi Arabia’s cinema ban in 2017, the festival is a key meeting for local and neighboring Gulf cinema professionals.

It also features a growing international strand, with highlights this year due to include “A spotlight on Korean Cinema”.

The announcement of the postponement follows an address by President Donald Trump on Wednesday in which he said his “core strategic objectives” in the U.S.-Israeli military operation on Iran were “nearing completion”.

There is no certainty that this means an end to the hostilities, which began on February 28 with a massive Israeli-US bombardment of Islamic Regime compounds in Tehran, is in sight.

Thursday saw a fresh raft of Iranian Drone attacks on Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait, while Israel and the U.S. continued to pound military infrastructure in Iran. At th same time, there are mounting fears for the world economy as Iran threatens to shutdown key Gulf shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz.

Beyond the human loss and damage to its key energy, tourism and aviation industries, the region’s burgeoning sports and creative sectors have also come under pressure.

In Qatar, the Spain vs. Argentina Finalissima match scheduled for the end of March at the Lusail Stadium was cancelled while the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix tournaments in April have also been abandoned.

In the cinema world, the Doha Film Institute is currently running its annual Qumra project and talent incubator online, after it was forced to cancel a physical event which was to have hosted Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal among its guests.