Films Supported by Red Sea Film Foundation received a record 12 Oscar nominations

RIYADH: A record 12 films financed by the Red Sea Film Foundation are in the running for Best Foreign Language Film at the 99th Academy Awards, the Saudi Press Agency said Tuesday.

The foundation stated 11 are official applications from their countries, while “Angh” qualified to submit directly after receiving the Platform Award at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.

The Academy has announced new criteria for the 99th Oscars that allow winners of select international film festival awards, including the Platform Award, to submit directly for consideration in the category.

The 11 national contributions are: ‘A Matter of Life and Death’, ‘Roqia’, ‘Soumsoum, the Nite of the Stars’, ‘The Stories’, ‘Guria’, ‘Four Seasons in Java’, ‘Sink’, ‘Strawberries’, ‘Ben’Imana’, ‘We Are All Strangers’ and ‘The Other Side of the Sun’.

The screening is proof of our dedication to supporting filmmakers from development to international recognition, said Faisal Baltyuor, CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation.

The Red Sea Fund supports a broad range of films each year and for 12 of them to reach the Oscars is a tremendous moment of pride for the Red Sea Film Foundation,” he said.

“Being selected by their countries to be the official submission is a huge recognition for the filmmakers and their work in itself for 11, and a testament to the talent and the stories coming out of Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Africa and Asia.

The entries follow this year’sestival success for foundation-backed films. Now Rwanda’s official entry, “Ben Imana,” took the Camera d’Or at Cannes, while the foundation had its biggest presentation ever at Toronto.

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