RIYADH: The second annual Riyadh Film Music Festival began at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University’s Red Hall Theater on Wednesday. The opening night featured a live orchestral performance that blended visuals with sound as music from “Top Gun: Maverick” was performed live on stage alongside a screening of the film.
The event, which is organized by the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and continues until Aug. 9, features composers, directors, filmmakers and enthusiasts from the Kingdom and beyond.
The event is attracting “diverse audiences, (providing) opportunities for local talent, and (contributing) to building a thriving cultural economy in line with Vision 2030,” said Ahmed Al-Ghaith, a live-performance advisor at the commission.
Ahmed Al-Ghaith, advisor at the RCRC. (Supplied)
Talking about the powerful effects of a live performance of a film score, he added: “When music is played in front of an audience, the spotlight is directly on its role as a hidden narrator that expresses emotions, enhances the plot and deepens the visual experience.”
He explained that the festival aims to promote an appreciation of the movie soundtrack as an art form in its own right, and encourage young talent to explore the fields of musical composition and sound production.
The Riyadh Film Music Festival is taking place this year in conjunction with the hosting in the capital of the Esports World Cup, as part of the commission’s efforts to foster cultural and artistic momentum in line with the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan for national development and diversification.
The second annual Riyadh Film Music Festival which organized by RCRC scheduled to run until August 9. (Supplied/RCRC)
The event aims to deepen the audience’s appreciation of the musical dimension in films through explorations of four movies in particular: “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” “Back to the Future” and “The Lion King.”
Each film is being screened accompanied by a live orchestral performance of its score, allowing audiences to experience the films in a new way and discover the power of music in cinematic storytelling.
The commission said the festival forms part of its work to enhance cultural and entertainment offerings for residents and visitors to the capital, while reinforcing Riyadh’s status as a global destination for arts and culture.
