DUBAI: The Saudi Film Commission has announced that it will launch a new industry event, the Saudi Film Confex, in Riyadh later this year. Scheduled to run from Oct. 1-4 at Riyadh’s BLVD Expo, the four-day conference and exhibition aims to promote the Kingdom’s film industry and attract filmmakers, producers, directors, investors and media professionals from around the world. It will feature curated workshops, thought leadership sessions with 50 keynote speakers, and six interactive zones. Each zone is designed around a specific theme. For example, the inspirational zone will bring together top creators to share their journeys and big-picture trends in the industry, while the innovation zone will showcase the latest technology and new product concepts. The experience zone will feature recent developments and trends in filmmaking and the business zone will serve as a networking space. Abdullah Al-Eyaf, CEO of the commission, said: “The conference will provide a platform for both regional and international industry players to connect and serve as an urban foundation for the collective creation of new techniques and technologies.” The venue boasts 40,000 square meters of exhibition space, catering to over 100 exhibitors, as the Kingdom ramps up its investment in the film and entertainment sector. Saudi Arabia is already making its presence felt in the global film industry. At this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the most prestigious event in world cinema, five films backed by the Kingdom’s Red Sea Film Fund made the official selection. During the festival, Saudi’s Cultural Development Fund unveiled two funds worth $180 million to bolster the local film industry and attract global filmmaking professionals. “The highly anticipated debut of Saudi Film Confex marks an important milestone for the local film industry, especially as the Kingdom continues to see increased interest around its entertainment capacity and offerings,” Al-Eyaf said.