Red Sea Film Festival postpones sixth edition from December 2026 to Q4 2027

The Red Sea Film Foundation said on 21 September 2026 that the sixth Red Sea International Film Festival—previously expected in early December in Historic Jeddah—has been postponed to the fourth quarter of 2027 after a comprehensive review of timing considerations, including the logistical requirements of staging an international event of this scale, according to the Foundation’s press release on redseafilmfest.com.

The Foundation states the sixth edition will return in 2027 with a renewed vision and that its year-round ecosystem—Red Sea Fund, Red Sea Labs and wider programmes—will keep supporting filmmakers. Separately it will introduce year-round programming at Culture Square in Historic Jeddah beginning in November 2026 for screenings, cultural events and specialised industry programmes, with further schedule detail to follow on official channels. Trade coverage (Deadline and others) notes the prior December window and industry uncertainty; Hada attributes conflict speculation to secondary outlets and sticks to the Foundation’s stated timing/logistics framing.

A related 30 September Asharq Al-Awsat / SPA report on the Red Sea Fund’s first two 2026 cycles (30 projects from 916 submissions) illustrates that funding activity continues even as the December festival week is skipped—useful context for producers tracking Saudi soft-power cinema rails.

Why it matters for Culture desks: a calendar hole on the Gulf festival circuit for December 2026, redirected attention to November Culture Square and ongoing Fund/Labs cycles, and planning stakes for sales agents who had already advanced 2026 submissions and accreditation.

Sources: Red Sea Film Foundation press, 21 Sep 2026; Deadline; Asharq Al-Awsat on Fund cycles (context).

Watch next: exact 2027 dates, Culture Square November slate, and whether Dubai’s announced 2027 festival revival reshapes Gulf December slots.