{"id":1449,"date":"2026-06-06T07:05:39","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T07:05:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=1449"},"modified":"2026-06-06T07:05:39","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T07:05:39","slug":"shivani-pandya-malhotra-steps-down-as-managing-director-of-saudi-arabias-red-sea-film-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=1449","title":{"rendered":"Shivani Pandya Malhotra Steps Down as Managing Director of Saudi Arabia\u2019s Red Sea Film Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\tShivani\u00a0Pandya Malhotra\u00a0has stepped down as general manager of Saudi Arabia\u2018s Red Sea Film Festival after playing an instrumental role in building the event from scratch and, over the course of five editions, turning it into one of the Arab world\u2019s most prominent festivals and the top movie market in the MENA [Middle East and North Africa] region.<\/p>\n

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\n\tThe Red Sea fest and market held in city of Jeddah, on the Red Sea\u2019s eastern shore, was established in 2019, with its inaugural edition taking place in 2020, two years after Saudi Arabia lifted its 35-year ban on commercial movie theaters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tIn its second year, the Red Sea fest hosted nearly 40,000 filmgoers and more than 4,000 film professionals over 10 days in December 2022 and boasted a jury hosted by Oliver Stone. For the 2023 edition, subtitled \u201cYour Story, Your Festival,\u201d Pandya Malhotra and her team secured Baz Luhrmann as president of the jury and a lineup of films including Kaouther Ben Hania\u2019s \u201cFour Daughters\u201d and director-star Ma\u00efwenn\u2019s period drama \u201cJeanne du Barry,\u201d co-starring Johnny Depp, one of the 170 films supported by the Red Sea Fund.\u00a0Last year Sean Baker presided over the jury of a star-studded edition of the Red Sea fest that kicked off with Dakota Johnson, Uma Thurman, Ana de Armas, Queen Latifah, Vin Diesel and Michael Caine among stars on the red carpet.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cAfter seven incredible years and five remarkable editions of the Red Sea International Film Festival, I leave with immense pride in everything we have built together,\u201d Pandya Malhotra said in a statement. <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt has been a privilege to be part of the Foundation\u2019s journey from the very beginning and to witness its growth into a globally respected institution,\u201d she added. \u201cI am deeply grateful to our Chairwoman Jomana Al Rashid, CEO Faisal Baltyour, our leadership, partners, filmmakers, colleagues, and the wider film community whose passion and commitment have helped shape this success. While I am excited about the next chapter, the Red Sea Film Foundation will always hold a very special place in my heart,\u201d Pandya Malhotra continued.<\/p>\n

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\n\tLast year\u2019s edition of the Red Sea fest was also the first one held under the watch of Saudi Arabian film industry pioneer Faisal\u00a0Baltyuor who in May, 2025, was appointed CEO of the Red Sea Foundation that oversees the festival as well as the Red Sea Fund, and its year-round Red Sea Labs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tIt is believed that Baltyuor\u2019s vision for the fest going forward clashed with Pandya Malhotra\u2019s\u00a0mode of operation, according to sources. <\/p>\n

\n\tBaltyour commented: \u201cShivani has played an important role in the Foundation\u2019s journey, working alongside a talented team of Saudi and international professionals to help shape its growth. We thank her for her contributions and wish her every success in the next chapter of her career.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tPandya Malhotra, who has over 25 years of experience in the entertainment industry \u2013 and prior to the Red Sea fest managed the now defunct Dubai Film Festival \u2013 recently ventured into film production as executive producer of Yemeni-Scottish director Sara Ishaq\u2019s Yemen-set drama \u201cThe Station\u201d that in May premiered positively from the Cannes Critics\u2019 Week.<\/p>\n

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Shivani Pandya Malhotra jas stepped down as managing director of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1448,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1378,1379,1380],"class_list":["post-1449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-film","tag-red-sea-film-festival","tag-saudi-arabia-2","tag-shivani-pandya-malhotra"],"yoast_head":"\nShivani Pandya Malhotra Steps Down as Managing Director of Saudi Arabia\u2019s Red Sea Film Festival - Relocation Observer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/relocationobserver.com\/?p=1449\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Shivani Pandya Malhotra Steps Down as Managing Director of Saudi Arabia\u2019s Red Sea Film Festival - 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