DHAHRAN: The partnership between the British Council and the Saudi Cinema Association this week for the 10th edition of the Saudi Film Festival will help boost the industry, showcase emerging talent, and foster cultural exchange, say officials and creatives.

The event at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, or Ithra, in Dhahran, began on May 2 and concludes on Thursday.

For the occasion, Studio Ulster and the SCA offered a training program to empower Saudi Arabia filmmakers with cutting-edge animation skills. The program commenced online and continued during the festival.

As part of the festival’s program, the British Council showcased a curated selection of UK short films, providing a platform for filmmakers to engage with Saudi Arabia audiences and forge meaningful connections.

Furthering this initiative was a series of masterclasses hosted by animation legends from Blue Zoo Productions, who offered insights into the nuances of building a thriving animation industry within the cultural framework of the country.

“We believe in the power of the arts to drive socio-economic development and are committed to fostering long-term partnerships that empower artists and enrich communities,” Amany Abouzeid, regional arts director of British Council MENA, said of the festival’s role in elevating the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals.

UK-based film producer Tony Humphreys, who came from London to attend the event, had high hopes for the week.

“I’m a producer and I’m also a consultant over here at the moment in the Saudi Film Festival to help try and link Saudi businesses and Saudi creatives with UK businesses and UK creatives,” Humphreys told Arab News.

The experience exceeded his expectations.

“I’ve met lots of very interesting people; lots of energy, lots of desire to do more and succeed creatively and lots of collaboration potential between our two nations,” he said.

“I’ve seen several of the programs, particularly the short film programs, I think there’s been a really interesting mix across all sorts of storytelling; some more traditional, some quite challenging in terms of themes and content. I think there’s a real vibe and a positive sort of drive of wanting to take the industry further very quickly.”

Ahmed Al-Mulla, who founded the SCA, said: “Our filmmakers were dreamers; they made their films underground and then went outside the country to screen them … Now, things changed in the blink of an eye.”