RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Film Commission will host the fourth International Film Criticism Conference on November 5-6, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday.
The conference will bring together leading critics, researchers, filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts to discuss the role of criticism in reading films, explore its artistic and cultural dimensions, and examine its evolving relationship with audiences amid the changes taking place across the film sector.
Reading a film goes beyond following its events or assessing its technical elements. It involves understanding its visual language, analyzing its narratives and symbols, and exploring the meanings carried by its scenes.
In this spirit, the conference raises questions about the plurality of critical readings, the different perspectives from which a film can be approached, and the critic’s role in enriching the viewing experience and broadening the conversation around films.
The program will feature panel discussions, practical workshops, and two film screenings examining contemporary approaches to film criticism.
The conference will also shed light on the changes in critical practice brought about by the spread of digital platforms and advances in artificial intelligence, and the questions they raise about analytical tools, forms of critical expression and ways of reaching audiences. These discussions are especially relevant as the Saudi and Arab film landscape evolves, bringing greater diversity in experiences, works and themes.
The conference offers a space for critics, researchers, filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts to meet and exchange views on the relationship between filmmaking and critical reading, and on developing practices that deepen the understanding of films and engagement with their content, strengthening the place of criticism in the cultural conversation around cinema.
Between 2023 and 2025, previous editions of the conference and its forums attracted more than 29,000 visitors from over 20 countries, with more than 180 participants, over 25 workshops and 30 side events, and 28 sponsors and partners.
The 2026 conference will convene diverse voices to examine the future of film criticism and reinforce its role in shaping informed, engaged cultural dialogue around cinema.
This article was first published in Asharq Al-Awsat.