Distribution of symbolic capital and constitution of a Global Southern canon: framing the Red Sea International Film Festival

This methodology provides a comprehensive understanding of the Festival’s strategic decisions and their impact on the film community, both within Saudi Arabia and internationally.<br> The findings indicate that the Red Sea International Film Festival strategically accumulates symbolic capital through the selection of diverse films, bringing together international juries and building collaborations with renowned festivals such as those of Cannes and Venice.

These initiatives enhance the Festival’s reputation and offer new opportunities for filmmakers from the Arab world and the Global South to attain greater visibility and legitimacy. The research further highlights the Festival’s ongoing negotiation between artistic ambition and the practical demands of national branding, commercial interests, and cultural policy. While programmes like the Red Sea Fund and Red Sea Lodge support emerging and under-represented voices, the Festival’s identity continues to be shaped by tensions between creative autonomy and broader political and economic priorities.

Ultimately, this thesis contends that the Red Sea International Film Festival is transforming Saudi Arabia’s position in global cinema and expanding the representation of voices and narratives from the Global South, even as it navigates the inherent complexities and challenges of the contemporary film festival landscape.