عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

Saudi Film Commission Set to Participate in the Shanghai International Film Festival 2024

Saudi Film Commission Set to Participate in the Shanghai International Film Festival 2024
TT
TT

Saudi Film Commission Set to Participate in the Shanghai International Film Festival 2024

Saudi Film Commission Set to Participate in the Shanghai International Film Festival 2024

The Saudi Film Commission (SFC) has announced its participation in the Shanghai International Film Festival 2024, taking place from June 13 to 22 in Shanghai, China. Established in October 1993, the festival has been a cornerstone in the global film industry and is the only Chinese film festival accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF), SPA reported.
SFC’s participation is a strategic move to establish the Kingdom as a global cinematic hub. The Commission aims to enhance the international presence and representation of the Saudi film industry while promoting the vast potential of Saudi filmmaking. At the festival, SFC will feature a pavilion showcasing its vision, goals, and strategies for sector development, highlighting the remarkable capabilities of the Saudi film industry, offering support and resources for potential investors, and raising awareness of the Kingdom’s cinematic achievements. This initiative fosters cultural exchange and cooperation. Additionally, the Red Sea Film Foundation, a private sector partner in the film industry, will also participate in the Saudi pavilion.
The festival is renowned for its diverse array of film screenings, workshops, and professional training sessions. It also hosts numerous industry discussions, connecting artists from around the world to celebrate the art of cinema and exchange invaluable experiences. Among its highlights, the festival will premiere several new films, adding to its vibrant lineup of events.
Saudi Arabia’s participation in the Shanghai International Film Festival represents an opportunity to solidify its presence on the global cinematic map. This engagement aligns with the significant renaissance in the Chinese film industry, underscoring the Kingdom’s ambition to become a leading cinematic destination. By interacting and collaborating with major creative centers, the Kingdom aims to enhance cultural and artistic communication with China, positively impacting the development of its film industry and expanding its horizons both locally and internationally.

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

Japan Startup Hopeful Ahead of Second Moon Launch

Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi soars through the air during the trial round of the Four Hills FIS Ski Jumping tournament (Vierschanzentournee), in Innsbruck, Austria on January 4, 2025. (Photo by GEORG HOCHMUTH / APA / AFP)
Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi soars through the air during the trial round of the Four Hills FIS Ski Jumping tournament (Vierschanzentournee), in Innsbruck, Austria on January 4, 2025. (Photo by GEORG HOCHMUTH / APA / AFP)
TT
TT

Japan Startup Hopeful Ahead of Second Moon Launch

Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi soars through the air during the trial round of the Four Hills FIS Ski Jumping tournament (Vierschanzentournee), in Innsbruck, Austria on January 4, 2025. (Photo by GEORG HOCHMUTH / APA / AFP)
Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi soars through the air during the trial round of the Four Hills FIS Ski Jumping tournament (Vierschanzentournee), in Innsbruck, Austria on January 4, 2025. (Photo by GEORG HOCHMUTH / APA / AFP)

Japanese startup ispace vowed its upcoming second unmanned Moon mission will be a success, saying Thursday that it learned from its failed attempt nearly two years ago.

In April 2023, the firm's first spacecraft made an unsalvageable "hard landing", dashing its ambitions to be the first private company to touch down on the Moon.

The Houston-based Intuitive Machines accomplished that feat last year with an uncrewed craft that landed at the wrong angle but was able to complete tests and send photos.

With another mission scheduled to launch next week, ispace wants to win its place in space history at a booming time for missions to the Moon from both governments and private companies.

"We at ispace were disappointed in the failure of Mission 1," ispace founder and CEO Takeshi Hakamada told reporters.

"But that's why we hope to send a message to people across Japan that it's important to challenge ourselves again, after enduring the failure and learning from it."

"We will make this Mission 2 a success," AFP quoted him as saying.

Its new lander, called Resilience, will blast off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 15, along with another lunar lander built by US company Firefly Aerospace.

If Resilience lands successfully, it will deploy a micro rover and five other payloads from corporate partners.

These include an experiment by Takasago Thermal Engineering, which wants to split water into oxygen and hydrogen gas with a view to using hydrogen as satellite and spacecraft fuel.

- Rideshare -

Firefly's Blue Ghost lander will arrive at the Moon after travelling 45 days, followed by ispace's Resilience, which the Japanese company hopes will land on the Earth's satellite at the end of May, or in June.

For the program, officially named Hakuto-R Mission 2, ispace chose to cut down on costs by arranging the first private-sector rocket rideshare, Hakamada said.

Only five nations have soft-landed spacecraft on the Moon: the Soviet Union, the United States, China, India and, most recently, Japan.

Many companies are vying to offer cheaper and more frequent space exploration opportunities than governments.

Space One, another Japanese startup, is trying to become Japan's first company to put a satellite into orbit -- with some difficulty so far.

Last month, Space One's solid-fuel Kairos rocket blasted off from a private launchpad in western Japan but was later seen spiraling downwards in the distance.

That was the second launch attempt by Space One after an initial try in March last year ended in a mid-air explosion.

Meanwhile Toyota, the world's top-selling carmaker, announced this week it would invest seven billion yen ($44 million) in Japanese rocket startup Interstellar Technologies.

"The global demand for small satellite launches has surged nearly 20-fold, from 141 launches in 2016 to 2,860 in 2023," driven by private space businesses, national security concerns and technological development, Interstellar said.