Moscow International Film Week to discuss cooperation between Moscow and the Middle East

The Third Moscow International Film Week will take place in Moscow from August 24 to 30, bringing together more than 200 film industry representatives from 19 countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, India and China.

The two-day business program at the Moskino film factory will connect production companies, platforms, distributors, film commissions, technology teams, writers and young professionals.

A key focus will be strengthening film cooperation with the Middle East and North Africa, a region seeing growing investment in film, series production, festivals and international co-productions.

One key discussion, “Moscow — Saudi Arabia: A Film Bridge to the Middle East,” will explore growing cultural and film industry ties between Russia and Saudi Arabia, which marks 100 years of diplomatic relations this year. With Saudi Arabia investing heavily in film and the Red Sea Festival emerging as a leading regional platform, the discussion will build on Moskino’s 30+ meetings with industry representatives across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Qatar. Speakers are expected to include Faisal Baltyuor, CEO of the Red Sea International Film Festival.

“From Application to Location: Film Commissions as a Service for the Industry” will examine how film commissions support productions, what makes a region attractive to film crews, and why some locations host more projects than others. Speakers include Abed Elammouri, Producer and Director at Media a la carte, UAE.

Another factor strengthening Moscow’s appeal for international projects is its rebate system, which compensates part of the expenses incurred while filming in the capital. In 2025, Moscow introduced international rebates for the first time, offering up to 50 million rubles per project, while the first applications for this support were submitted during Film Week.

The Third Moscow International Film Week will retain the format of an open citywide event. Moscow residents and visitors will be able to attend film screenings, special programs, creative meetings, autograph sessions, short tours, family formats and other events at city venues. One of the notable projects will be Moscow’s Cinema Truck — a mobile open-air cinema. This year, it will travel across the city for seven days and cover seven locations, with more than 20 film screenings planned.

The Second Moscow International Film Week took place from August 23 to 27, 2025, featuring more than 200 events across Moscow and attracting over 700,000 attendees. Its business program brought together 150+ speakers from 20 countries.

Following the event, cooperation agreements were signed with Egypt, Mexico, Brazil and Turkey, while the first applications were submitted for rebates partially covering the costs of international projects produced in Moscow.

The event is organized by the Moscow Department of Culture and Moskino.