Kaleem Aftab has stepped down as Director of International Programming at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival.
The film writer, critic, programmer and moderator has been part of the festival programming team since its inaugural edition in 2001, when there was still a lot of scepticism and pushback in the wider film world about the event.
Aftab, who was a popular and respected figure at the festival, and expected to remain on the team for some time to come, is stepping down for personal family reasons.
Under his watch, the international program pushed boundaries in Saudi Arabia, which lifted its 35-year ban on cinema in 2017.
In a move not seen in many other mainstream festivals, he gave space to African and Asian filmmakers and introduced Saudi audiences to European films, mainly by second generation directors, while his selections included films with LGBTQ+ characters and storylines from the very first edition.
The Red Sea International Film Festival praised Aftab for his work at the festival, and wished him well.
“Kaleem has been a part of the Red Sea team for the past four years and built an international programme, working to put the Red Sea International Film Festival on the map as a key stop in the Festival calendar. He has been a pivotal part of our journey so far and we wish him all the best in his future work,” it said in a statement.
The fifth Red Sea International Film Festival will take place from December 4 to 13, 2025 in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah.
Screen International was the first to report this news.
