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Red Sea Film Fest Loses General Manager
6 Jun
Summary
- Shivani Pandya Malhotra resigned as GM of Red Sea Film Festival.
- She helped establish the festival and grow it significantly.
- Sources suggest vision clashes led to her departure.
Shivani Pandya Malhotra has resigned as general manager of the Red Sea Film Festival, a prominent event in the Arab world and the top movie market in the MENA region. She was instrumental in establishing the festival, which began in 2019 with its inaugural edition in 2020, following Saudi Arabia's lifting of its ban on movie theaters.
The festival has grown significantly, attracting numerous filmgoers and professionals. For its December 2022 edition, it hosted nearly 40,000 attendees and over 4,000 film professionals, with Oliver Stone leading the jury. The 2023 edition featured films supported by the Red Sea Fund, with Baz Luhrmann as jury president.
Pandya Malhotra stated she leaves with immense pride in what was built and expressed deep gratitude to the leadership, partners, and the film community. Her departure comes after Faisal Baltyour was appointed CEO of the Red Sea Foundation, which oversees the festival, the Red Sea Fund, and the Red Sea Labs. Sources suggest Baltyour's vision may have differed from Pandya Malhotra's operational methods.
Baltyour acknowledged Pandya Malhotra's significant role in the foundation's growth and thanked her for her contributions. Pandya Malhotra, with over 25 years in the entertainment industry, previously managed the Dubai Film Festival and recently executive produced the film "The Station."
