Red Sea Film Foundation Joins Inaugural Lumière Summit in France

The Red Sea Film Foundation took part in the inaugural Lumière Summit at Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul-de-Vence on September 7th, joining more than 200 public officials, industry leaders, creators and cultural figures from over 60 countries.

Co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, the summit concluded with five international declarations covering artificial intelligence, piracy, image education, gender equality and environmental sustainability. The agreements set out principles around human creativity, copyright, fair remuneration, visual literacy and safer working practices.

The summit also introduced several new cooperation mechanisms, including the International Resilience Initiative for Independent Screens, or IRIS, aimed at supporting independent cinemas and improving the circulation of independent films. The Lumière Alliance was also launched with 54 national film and audiovisual agencies, alongside a EUR 1 billion France–Korea investment framework for film and audiovisual industries between 2027 and 2031.

Red Sea Film Foundation CEO Faisal Baltyuor joined a roundtable titled ‘Easy to Criticize, Impossible to Replace: Rethinking the Festival’, alongside representatives from Cannes, Toronto, Busan, Annecy, San Sebastián, SXSW and other major international festivals and film organisations. The discussion focused on how festivals can continue discovering new work, reaching audiences and protecting their independence while adapting to industry changes.

Baltyuor also took part in the closing plenary on image education and the growing importance of visual literacy for younger audiences.

“What stood out at the Lumière Summit was the determination to move from identifying the challenges facing cinema to building practical responses,” Baltyuor said. “Protecting human creativity, supporting independent cinema, strengthening the ways films reach audiences and investing in visual literacy all speak directly to the work of the Red Sea Film Foundation.”

The foundation’s wider work includes the Red Sea International Film Festival, Red Sea Fund, Red Sea Souk and Red Sea Labs, supporting filmmakers from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Africa and Asia through financing, mentoring, industry access and international partnerships.