Red Sea Shorts Competition - Red Sea International Film Festival 2026

Submissions for the short film competition section of the Red Sea International Film Festival, open to Arab, Asian, and African filmmakers. Fiction, documentary, and animation shorts (59 minutes or under) must be Middle East and North Africa premieres and produced in 2025 or 2026. Entry is free until 7 July 2026, with a regular fee of 100 SAR until the final deadline.

Who can apply

Open to Saudi, Arab, Asian, and African filmmakers; fiction, non-fiction, and animation; short films under 59 minutes; must be a Middle East and North African premiere; films must not have been screened at any event in the MENA region; produced in 2025 or 2026.

Perks & benefits

Golden Yusr for Best Short Film prize of USD 25,000
Prestige of selection in a major international film festival

Key contacts

Technical Support
Technical Support
[email protected]
Red Sea International Film Festival
Submissions Team
[email protected]

Sources

Links used by the AI to gather information about this grant.

Funding

$25k – $25k

Deadline

August 2, 2026

Opens

May 11, 2026

Organiser website View source

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Eligibility criteria

Open to Saudi, Arab, Asian and African filmmakers
Accepts fiction, non-fiction (documentary) and animation films
Accepts short films (under 59 minutes) and feature films (over 60 minutes)
Films must be a Middle East and North African premiere
World and International premieres will be given priority
Films should not have been screened at any film festival anywhere in the world that is primarily focused on Arab films
Films must be a 2025 – 2026 production
Film nationality determined by funding origin, production location linked to tax breaks or funding, or nationality of director(s) and/or producer(s)