Five films will be screened in this year’s Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) « New Saudi Cinema, Features” program, showcasing the work of a new generation of documentary filmmakers. The films will premiere during the Festival’s fifth edition, running from 4 to 13 December 2025 in Jeddah’s historic district of Al-Balad.
The five titles – Noor; Human Tide; Seven Summits; Beyond the Shifting Sands and Circles of Life – reflect the growing cinematic and cultural movement in the Kingdom and emphasise the diversity and creative richness that characterise the Saudi documentary film scene today.
Audiences will witness an array of inspiring human experiences: joining pilgrims from around the world on their first journey to Hajj (Human Tide), following a Saudi adventurer’s first ascent of Mount Everest (Seven Summits), exploring the creative journeys of contemporary artists from Saudi Arabia and the Arab world (Beyond the Shifting Sands and Circles of Life), and drawing inspiration from the legendary footballer Mohammed Noor, whose remarkable career with Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr, and the Saudi National Team takes center stage in (Noor).
In his remarks, Faisal Baltyuor, CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation, emphasized: “The ‘New Saudi Cinema, Features’ program embodies the remarkable progress of documentary filmmaking in Saudi Arabia, where a new wave of filmmakers is shaping stories with authenticity, artistry, and purpose. This year’s selection showcases the depth of Saudi storytelling — from heartfelt human experiences to artistic and athletic achievements that mirror the Kingdom’s ongoing transformation. Saudi filmmakers are not only documenting reality, but redefining it through powerful cinematic language that connects with audiences across cultures and continents.”
New Saudi Cinema Features:
NOOR
Director: Omar Almuqarri
Producer: Saad Turkistani
The story of Mohammed Noor, who rose from humble beginnings in Makkah to become one of Saudi Arabia’s most celebrated footballers. The documentary traces his career with Al-Ittihad Club, where his commanding presence led the team to domestic and continental titles. Noor’s influence extended beyond his club, representing Saudi Arabia in the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups. This film highlights both his success and personal hardships, delivering a powerful message about resilience and the lasting legacy he has left for generations to come.
HUMAN TIDE
Director: David Ward
Producer: Donall McCusker
Each year, millions of Muslims embark on the sacred pilgrimage of Hajj. Documentary Human Tide provides an intimate look at this spiritual journey through the eyes of seven diverse groups of pilgrims, each with personal reasons for making this once-in-a-lifetime trip. Among them are Yousef and his father Wasim from Sweden, who seek healing from mental health struggles. By weaving together their individual voices, the film offers a captivating portrait that reveals the profound transformations it sparks.
SEVEN SUMMITS
Director: Amir El-Shenawy
Producer: Roua Almadani
Saudi adventurer Badr Al-Shibani embarks on a quest: to climb the highest peak on each of the world’s seven continents. Seven Summits documents his journey, which is as much a test of survival as it is a personal voyage of self-discovery. From the most remote and toughest peaks to his ultimate challenge on Mount Everest, Al-Shibani’s story is a powerful exploration of human resilience, the search for identity and the firm drive to push past both physical and internal limits.
BEYOND THE SHIFTING SANDS
Director: Abdullah Alhamddi
Producer: Omar Albawardi
In this film, the boundaries between the documentary, the real, and the imagined are blurred. Ultimately, it offers no definitive answers but instead positions the viewer on the very threshold where the artists stand: the threshold between what we know and what we are yet to discover. It is there, where the sand becomes memory, the image an indelible trace, and identity a promise renewed with every glance.
This is a film about art as a state of life, and the human beings seeing themselves in a sketch that takes shape only to gradually fade away — As if beauty is not drawn to endure, but rather to offer a reminder that everything we seek may, in fact, reside within the drawing of the sand itself.
CIRCLES OF LIFE
Director: Khaled Al-Dasimani
Producer: Omar Albawardi
The film tells a story of art and the human being reflecting on the inner self amid transformation. It narrates the journey of Saudi artists as they go through the distance between memory and dream, where every scene transforms into a question and every experience forges new features of an identity that is shaped daily.
In this film, art is presented as a living state of search and wonder. It is a transparent moment where time intersects with space, and vision itself becomes a form of drawing. Through a poetic visual narrative, the film reinterprets the Saudi art scene, revealing it as a mirror to the society’s broader transformation- the transformation of the society itself in its relationship with time, identity, and beauty.
