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Cultural Development Fund Concludes Participation in 10th Saudi Film Festival

The Saudi Film Festival is a prominent annual event featuring and celebrating diverse films and screenplays that have witnessed remarkable development over the years - SPA
The Saudi Film Festival is a prominent annual event featuring and celebrating diverse films and screenplays that have witnessed remarkable development over the years - SPA
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Cultural Development Fund Concludes Participation in 10th Saudi Film Festival

The Saudi Film Festival is a prominent annual event featuring and celebrating diverse films and screenplays that have witnessed remarkable development over the years - SPA
The Saudi Film Festival is a prominent annual event featuring and celebrating diverse films and screenplays that have witnessed remarkable development over the years - SPA

The Cultural Development Fund (CDF) wrapped up its participation in the 10th annual Saudi Film Festival (SFF). The fund's third consecutive sponsorship of the Saudi Film Festival has come to solidify its role as a key supporter and financial enabler to enrich and stimulate the growth of a vibrant Saudi film sector, according to a CDF news release.
According to the statement, the festival which is celebrating its 10th anniversary was organized by the Saudi Cinema Association in collaboration with the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) and with the support of the Film Commission. It took place from May 2nd to May 9th in Dhahran.
According to SPA, the fund's active participation in the eight-day Festival featured a pavilion within the Production Market Exhibition, welcoming guests and film enthusiasts and showcasing its financing and non-financing solutions.
Leading the conversation was the "Film Sector Financing Program," a cornerstone initiative through which the fund supports entities across the film sector. This initiative encompasses everything from film and TV content development to infrastructure, heavy equipment, filming equipment, sound, makeup, and more.
Additionally, the fund showcased its suite of non-financing solutions, including its "Consultations" and "Vouchers" services, which enable creatives to enhance their projects' readiness.
As an integral part of its participation in the Production Market, the CDF engaged in a thought-provoking dialogue session titled "Saudi Support Funds" alongside Ithra and the Red Sea Fund. Faris Alaskar, the fund's representative, took centre stage, shedding light on the comprehensive support extended by the Film Sector Financing Program to industry businesses while exploring the promising opportunities within the Kingdom's burgeoning film industry.
The Production Market's closing ceremony witnessed a tribute to the Cultural Development Fund, acknowledging its invaluable sponsorship of the festival and its pivotal role in championing and supporting the film industry.
The Saudi Film Festival is a prominent annual event featuring and celebrating diverse films and screenplays that have witnessed remarkable development over the years. In this year's edition, the film funded by CDF, "Ahlam Alasr," a cinematic creation by the talented Godus Brothers, competed in the "Feature Film" category, captivating audiences as part of the festival's film screening schedule.
The CDF was founded in 2021 to enhance the cultural landscape within Saudi Arabia further. It is organizationally linked to the National Development Fund to promote the development of a self-reliant cultural sector. The fund actively supports various cultural activities and projects, facilitates investment, and seeks to improve the domestic cultural sector's profitability in alignment with the National Culture Strategy and Saudi Vision 2030.

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Italy’s Vintage Trains Lure Tourists off Beaten Track 

Passengers on the vintage carriage "cento porte", which means hundred doors in English, look through the windows at the train station in Palena, Italy July 21, 2024. (Reuters)
Passengers on the vintage carriage "cento porte", which means hundred doors in English, look through the windows at the train station in Palena, Italy July 21, 2024. (Reuters)
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Italy’s Vintage Trains Lure Tourists off Beaten Track 

Passengers on the vintage carriage "cento porte", which means hundred doors in English, look through the windows at the train station in Palena, Italy July 21, 2024. (Reuters)
Passengers on the vintage carriage "cento porte", which means hundred doors in English, look through the windows at the train station in Palena, Italy July 21, 2024. (Reuters)

As it rolls across Italy's central regions, a vintage diesel locomotive towing carriages from the 1930s and 1950s crosses the forests of the Majella National park and the Abruzzo highlands, giving tourists on board a glimpse of hidden hamlets.

Across its just over 100 kilometers (62 miles), the so-called Italian Transiberian rail line, also known as the Park Railway, slips into gorges, snakes into 58 tunnels and braves huge viaducts.

It was the first of some 1,000 kilometers of line to have re-opened under a project by Fondazione FS, part of state-controlled national rail company Ferrovie dello Stato (FS).

The "Timeless tracks" project takes tourists to forgotten parts of Italy, offering an alternative to the fast-paced, mass tourism of the major cities.

"These are tracks that have lived through different eras, they have carried soldiers to the front, cows to pasture... they were mistakenly considered unproductive during the 1960s and 70s but are now once again of value," Luigi Cantamessa, who heads Fondazione FS, told Reuters.

Inspired by train travel in Switzerland, the project now carries 45,000 tourists a year across its 13 lines. Fondazione FS expects to open two new ones by 2026, both in the southern region of Sicily.

"What were considered to be the dry branches of Italy's train network, have now proved to be the green shoots," Cantamessa added.

NO FROZEN PIZZAS

"People are used to cities and places, like Florence, that everyone knows.. but then there are other areas that need to be discovered. (This) is the right kind of tourism that does not spoil the authenticity of places," said Norma Pagiotti, a 28-year-old from Florence travelling on the train with two friends.

With arrival numbers above pre-pandemic levels, popular European travel destinations including Venice have introduced measures aimed at managing visitor numbers amid rising concerns about overcrowding.

"The train reminds me of my youth, I feel a bit nostalgic for the things of the past, which were simpler, now everything is fast, short-lived," says Caterina Quaranta, from Taranto in southern Italy, sitting on the wooden seats of the train.

The trips attract Italians and foreigners, a lot of families and children, younger people who get off to hike and cycle, and older people "who have time to spare", explained Laura Colaprete, a local guide.

"It's for those who don't want mass market, cluttered destinations. A conscious traveler, who is looking for something special," said Cantamessa of Fondazione FS. "These are not trips that serve you frozen pizza for lunch," he added.

FOLK MUSIC AND LOCAL FOOD

After climbing up almost 1,000 meters in altitude, the Transiberian's first stop is in Palena, a medieval hill-top town known for its breathtaking views over the national park.

Traditional folk music accompanies people getting off the train, with local delicacies such as lamb skewers and soft pancakes made with an iron mold, known as pizzelle, and products by local artisans awaiting them at the station.

"The train helps several small towns around here. This line was a dead line before," said Gino Toppi, 60, as he helped his wife with the food stall in the small station.

Milan's Bocconi University recently estimated that for every euro spent by passengers on tickets - which cost between 30 euros and 70 euros ($32.50 - $76)- up to a further 3 euros are spent on food, accommodation, tours and souvenirs.

That helps to support the economy of villages that have long lost population due to the dwindling birth rate and younger people leaving for the bigger cities

"There certainly are benefits, this is a way to show my products," said Annalisa Cantelmi, a herbalist.

"These tourists are slowly discovering these new territories, their traditions and people," she added.