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Saudi CDF Says it Engaged with Filmmakers, Potential Partners at Berlin Film Festival

The Saudi Cultural Development Fund (CDF) has concluded its participation in the 75th Berlin International Film Festival
The Saudi Cultural Development Fund (CDF) has concluded its participation in the 75th Berlin International Film Festival
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Saudi CDF Says it Engaged with Filmmakers, Potential Partners at Berlin Film Festival

The Saudi Cultural Development Fund (CDF) has concluded its participation in the 75th Berlin International Film Festival
The Saudi Cultural Development Fund (CDF) has concluded its participation in the 75th Berlin International Film Festival

The Saudi Cultural Development Fund (CDF) has concluded its participation in the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, which was held from February 13 to 19. As part of the Saudi pavilion, CDF engaged with international filmmakers, industry professionals, and potential partners, exploring promising opportunities in Saudi Arabia's rapidly growing film sector.
CDF aimed to highlight its role as a key financial enabler of the Kingdom's cultural sector and its contributions to developing film production. It also presented its financial solutions through Cultural Financing, demonstrating how it empowers local and international filmmakers to launch and expand their projects in the Kingdom.

CDF also aimed to foster strategic partnerships within the global film community—connecting with filmmakers, potential collaborators, and investors to explore new opportunities in the sector.
One of the key highlights of CDF's participation was showcasing the Cultural Financing to visitors—its overarching framework for financial services that supports projects across all 16 cultural sectors, including film—seeking to attract global talent across the entire film value chain and playing a crucial role in advancing the industry's development in the Kingdom.

Focusing on micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the Cultural Financing offers flexible financing solutions with competitive interest rates, enabling businesses to establish and expand operations while ensuring long-term sustainability, profitability, and financial security.

CDF's participation in Berlinale extends its ongoing efforts to contribute to the sustainable growth of Saudi Arabia's film sector, encourage global companies to establish operations in the Kingdom and solidify its position as a regional and international hub for creative content production.

In this context, CDF recently announced closing its fundraising efforts for the Saudi Film Fund, securing SAR375 million from 10 local and international investors in partnership with the private sector.
As the first investment fund of its kind in Saudi Arabia, with the Cultural Development Fund serving as an anchor investor contributing 40% of the total capital, the Saudi Film Fund is dedicated to investing in infrastructure, production capabilities, and sector-related entities. This will further reinforce the film sector's contribution to the national economy and enhance the quality of life in Saudi Arabia.

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Ancient Bronze Griffin Head Is Returned to Greece from New York in Major Repatriation Move

The head of a griffin, that was repatriated from New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, is displayed at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP)
The head of a griffin, that was repatriated from New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, is displayed at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP)
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Ancient Bronze Griffin Head Is Returned to Greece from New York in Major Repatriation Move

The head of a griffin, that was repatriated from New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, is displayed at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP)
The head of a griffin, that was repatriated from New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, is displayed at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP)

New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art has returned an ancient bronze griffin head stolen nearly a century ago to a museum in southern Greece, the latest repatriation marking a broader shift in the museum world to return significant artifacts.

The 7th century B.C. artifact was on display at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia, the city that in ancient times was the birthplace of the games that later inspired the modern Olympic Games.

Greece’s culture minister, Lina Mendoni, attended a ceremony Friday at the museum, calling the return a significant moment.

“After decades of absence, the griffin returns from the Metropolitan Museum in New York to the place it belongs,” she said, praising the joint effort by the Culture Ministry and the Met to trace the artifact’s past. The ceremony coincided with a visit to Greece by members of the International Olympic Committee to elect a new president. Kirsty Coventry became the first woman and first African to lead the global body.

The griffin, a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, symbolized strength and divine protection in ancient Greece. The bronze head will now be displayed alongside a similar griffin head already at the Olympia museum.

The Met has recently increased its efforts to review the history of its holdings, hiring additional experts to track the origins of objects in its collection.

“We are grateful for our long-standing partnership with the Greek government and look forward to continued engagement and cultural exchange,” the Met's museum director Max Hollein said in a statement.

Institutions across the world in recent years have begun to acknowledge the importance of returning significant cultural items while still promoting global access to heritage. As part of this new framework, Greece has agreed to loan the griffin head back to the Met for future exhibitions, Mendoni said.

Athens is hoping the new, more open approach will boost its decades-long campaign for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures, taken from the Acropolis in Athens in the 19th century and now in the British Museum. The government — citing their cultural importance and illegal removal — says it is making slow progress in negotiations with the London museum.