The Saudi Ministry of Culture is continuing to make waves in Venice, and this time, the lens is firmly focused on film. From August 28 to September 6, 2025, the Abbazia building in Dorsoduro transformed into a cinematic hub with Discover Saudi Cinema, a vibrant showcase celebrating the future of filmmaking in the Kingdom.
As part of the cultural program The Saudi Ministry of Culture in Abbazia, curated in collaboration with the Saudi Film Commission, the event delivered something both intimate and far-reaching: nine short films from a new generation of Saudi filmmakers, screened daily from noon to 5 p.m. Each one served as a window into a nation in motion—where tradition, modernity, identity, and imagination collide on screen.
The films themselves stretched across genres—dark comedies, coming-of-age dramas, poetic documentaries, even surreal absurdist tales—yet all were bound together by their honesty and creative fire. They asked big questions about individual identity, grief, self-perception, community, and the weight of tradition, while daring to experiment with new forms of storytelling.
Many of these works have already made their mark at prestigious stages like the Saudi Film Festival, the Red Sea International Film Festival, and Cairo International Film Festival. Others introduced rising filmmakers whose bold debuts signal a cinematic culture ready to take its place on the world stage.
On Wednesday, August 29, the Abbazia program elevated the dialogue further with a panel titled The Saudi Film Industry: Crafting Cinematic Success. Directors, producers, and cultural leaders came together to discuss how a national cinematic identity is taking shape—spotlighting the challenges, the opportunities, and the vital role film plays in reflecting Saudi Arabia’s social and artistic evolution.
This program is more than a screening series—it’s part of something larger. Running from May 10 to November 23, 2025, The Saudi Ministry of Culture in Abbazia aligns with the Kingdom’s participation in the 19th Venice Architecture Biennale. It’s a statement of intent: Saudi Arabia is not only preserving its heritage but actively projecting its creativity, beauty, and cultural depth into the global conversation.
With Discover Saudi Cinema, the Kingdom positions film as both a mirror and a bridge—a way of seeing itself anew, and of connecting to audiences around the world. And in Venice, the city of canals and festivals, those cinematic voices rang clear.