Saudi Film Commission Showcases Vision and Partnerships at 4th Red Sea International Film Festival

The Saudi Film Commission said its participation in the festival builds on its legacy of driving growth in the national film industry
The Saudi Film Commission said its participation in the festival builds on its legacy of driving growth in the national film industry
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Saudi Film Commission Showcases Vision and Partnerships at 4th Red Sea International Film Festival

The Saudi Film Commission said its participation in the festival builds on its legacy of driving growth in the national film industry
The Saudi Film Commission said its participation in the festival builds on its legacy of driving growth in the national film industry

The Saudi Film Commission is set to participate in the fourth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival, held in Jeddah on December 5-14.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the commission said its presence underscores the Film Commission's commitment to elevating Saudi Arabia's cinematic productions by supporting local talent and fostering impactful partnerships with leading international film institutions.

Central to its involvement, the commission will unveil a dedicated pavilion at the Red Sea "Souk", offering festival attendees an in-depth look at its role in shaping Saudi Arabia's burgeoning film industry. The commission said the pavilion will spotlight its strategic initiatives aimed at positioning the Kingdom as a global hub for filmmaking.

One of the highlights of this year's participation is the showcase of four films supported by the Film Commission through its programs, including "Daw" and "Cash Rebate Program".

The films are Saifi, Farasan Island, Me and My Driver, and Hobal. This support reflects the commission's ongoing efforts to empower Saudi creators and enhance the reach of Saudi cinematic works to local and global audiences.

The Red Sea International Film Festival, a pioneering event in the Kingdom, showcases a dynamic blend of local and international cinematic works. It celebrates creativity across genres and cultures, presenting prestigious awards in diverse film categories. Running alongside the festival, the Red Sea Film Market "Souk" (December 7-11) serves as a crucial incubator for film projects, offering resources and opportunities to elevate local productions to international standards.

The Saudi Film Commission said its participation builds on its legacy of driving growth in the national film industry. It aims to empower Saudi filmmakers, connect them with global industry leaders, and amplify the Kingdom's cultural narrative on the world stage. Through this engagement, the commission continues to deliver on its mission to enable the Saudi film industry, nurture creativity, and support the next generation of storytellers.



Japan's Space One Kairos Rocket Fails Minutes after Liftoff

The solid-fuel Kairos rocket by Tokyo-based startup Space One is launched at the company's Spaceport Kii launch pad in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture on December 18, 2024. (Photo by JIJI PRESS / AFP) / Japan OUT
The solid-fuel Kairos rocket by Tokyo-based startup Space One is launched at the company's Spaceport Kii launch pad in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture on December 18, 2024. (Photo by JIJI PRESS / AFP) / Japan OUT
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Japan's Space One Kairos Rocket Fails Minutes after Liftoff

The solid-fuel Kairos rocket by Tokyo-based startup Space One is launched at the company's Spaceport Kii launch pad in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture on December 18, 2024. (Photo by JIJI PRESS / AFP) / Japan OUT
The solid-fuel Kairos rocket by Tokyo-based startup Space One is launched at the company's Spaceport Kii launch pad in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture on December 18, 2024. (Photo by JIJI PRESS / AFP) / Japan OUT

Japan's Space One terminated the flight of its Kairos small rocket shortly after liftoff on Wednesday, marking the end of its second attempt in nine months to become the country's first company to deliver a satellite to space.
It is the latest in a series of recent setbacks for Japanese rocket development, even as the government looks to boost the domestic space industry and is targeting 30 rocket launches annually by the early 2030s, Reuters reported.
Authorities are pushing to make Japan Asia's space transportation hub in what they hope will be an 8 trillion yen ($52 billion) space industry.
The second Kairos flight, which only lasted about 10 minutes, was terminated because "the achievement of its mission would be difficult", Space One said in an email to reporters.
Live images from the local Wakayama prefecture government showed the 18-meter (59 ft) solid-propellant rocket blasting off from Spaceport Kii in western Japan at 11:00 a.m. (0200 GMT) but losing stability in its trajectory as it ascended.
Five small satellites, including one from the Taiwan Space Agency, were on board the rocket headed into sun-synchronous orbit roughly 500 km (311 miles) above the Earth's surface.
Tokyo-based Space One was founded in 2018 by Canon Electronics, IHI's aerospace unit, construction firm Shimizu and a state-backed bank, with the goal of launching 20 small rockets a year by 2029 to capture growing satellite launch demand.
At its debut flight in March, Kairos, carrying a Japanese government satellite, exploded five seconds after launch.
Inappropriate flight settings triggered the rocket's autonomous self-destruct system even though no issues were found in its hardware, Space One later said.
A lack of domestic launch options has seen emerging Japanese space startups such as radar satellite maker iQPS and debris mitigator Astroscale tapping on SpaceX's rideshare missions or leading small rocket provider Rocket Lab .
Recent Japanese rocket projects have also faced other setbacks.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) postponed the debut flight of the new solid-fuel launcher Epsilon S after its engine combustion test failed last month for a second time.
JAXA's larger liquid-propellant rocket H3 also failed at its inaugural launch in March 2023 but has succeeded in three flights this year, winning orders from clients such as French satellite giant Eutelsat.
In 2019, Interstellar Technologies became the first Japanese firm to send a rocket into space without a satellite payload, but its orbital launcher Zero is still under development.