Record 12 Red Sea Film Foundation-Backed Films Enter Oscars Race
RIYADH, October 20 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) - A record 12 films supported by the Red Sea Film Foundation have entered the race for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards, representing 12 countries across Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Africa and Asia.
Eleven are their countries’ official submissions: A Matter of Life and Death, Roqia, Soumsoum, the Night of the Stars, The Stories, Guria, Four Seasons in Java, Sink, Strawberries, Ben’Imana, We Are All Strangers and The Other Side of the Sun.
They are joined by Angh, which won the Platform Award at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. Under new Academy rules for the 99th awards, winners of selected international festival prizes, including the Platform Award, can submit directly for consideration in the category.
Red Sea Film Foundation Chief Executive Faisal Baltyuor said the national selections recognized the filmmakers and their work. He said the results reflected the foundation’s support for films from early development through to international release.
The entries follow a year of festival recognition for foundation-backed productions. Eight supported films screened at Toronto, its largest presence at the festival, while Ben’Imana, now Rwanda’s official Oscar submission, won the Caméra d’Or at Cannes.
The Best International Feature Film shortlist will be announced on December 15, 2026, followed by nominations on January 21, 2027. The Academy Awards ceremony takes place in Los Angeles on March 14, 2027.
Source: SPA.
