Red Sea Film Foundation appoints Faisal Baltyuor as CEO
Faisal Baltyuor, a prominent figure in Saudi Arabia's emerging film industry, has been appointed CEO of the Red Sea Foundation, which oversees the Red Sea International Film Festival, the Red Sea Fund and the year-round Red Sea Labs initiative. He will officially assume the role on June 1, taking over from acting CEO Mohammed Asseri.
Baltyuor's appointment marks a strategic move for the foundation as it continues to drive Saudi Arabia's cultural and cinematic development. Since the lifting of the kingdom's decades-long cinema ban in 2017, Baltyuor has played a pivotal role in shaping the national film landscape. He previously served as the first head of Ithra Cinema, backed by Saudi Aramco, and later founded CineWaves Films, the leading distributor of Saudi content with the largest library of local films. He also led Muvi Studios, the production arm of the kingdom's largest cinema chain, and most recently opened Riyadh's first arthouse cinema, Cinehouse.
As a producer, Baltyuor's portfolio includes some of Saudi Arabia's most groundbreaking titles. He executive-produced Haifaa Al Mansour's acclaimed film The Perfect Candidate, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2019, and the box-office hit Sattar, a locally popular concept comedy. He also produced Netflix's From the Ashes, a Saudi original that ranked in the top 10 most-watched films in over 40 countries, and co-produced Goodbye Julia, directed by Sudanese filmmaker Mohamed Kordofani, which won the Prix de la Liberté at Cannes in 2023.
In a statement, Red Sea Film Foundation Chairwoman Jomana Al-Rashid said: 'From its inception, the Red Sea Film Foundation has been driven by a singular mission: to ignite a cinematic renaissance across Saudi Arabia and the broader region.'
She added: 'We are delighted to welcome Faisal to this transformative journey. His visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to unlocking the boundless potential of emerging talent will fuel not only artistic excellence but also the sustainable growth of our industry.'
Baltyour commented: 'I am deeply honoured to assume the position of CEO at the Red Sea Film Foundation, a leading institution at the forefront of Saudi Arabia's cultural and cinematic evolution. In a remarkably short time, the foundation has secured its place on the global festival map, and we are committed to building on this success. Through our diverse programmes, we will continue to support a thriving film industry both locally and internationally, in line with the ambitions of Vision 2030, which places the creative sector at the heart of national development.'
The upcoming fifth edition of the Red Sea Film Festival will run December 4-13 in Jeddah, on the Red Sea's eastern shore.
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