Hani Al-Mulla in "Media Forum": Administrators are the real heroes of cinema

Hani bin Ahmed Al Mulla, Executive Director of The Saudi Cinema Society and the Saudi Film Festival said that the film industry in the Kingdom needs administrators with experience in the cultural and artistic sector no less than artists, saying: "We have empowerment lines for artists and creators, but administrators are the backbone of any sustainable film industry"

Al-Mulla explained that administrators play a crucial role in transforming the creative vision into a final product, through careful planning of budgets, schedules, and logistics services. They also provide financial and organizational stability, manage work teams, and handle distribution and production operations, ensuring operational efficiency and a balance between technical quality and financial obligations.

He added that administrators are the ones who find financing, obtain permits, and set the schedule to ensure the idea goes from paper to screen, and they are also responsible. About managing huge budgets, marketing and distribution, and creating a professional work environment.

This came during the Saudi Cinema Society’s participation in a pavilion showcasing its initiatives and releases in "Saudi Media Forum 2026"The association has an ongoing cultural project that aims to document the historical and cognitive cinema from critical and artistic angles under the name "Saudi Encyclopedia of Cinema"

Saudi Media Forum 2026

Al-Mulla said: "The presence of the Cinema Society in the Media Forum is an integral part of the ambitious artistic media scene drawn up for us by Vision 2030. The cinematic media wheel is moving in a parallel line towards highlighting the role of the Kingdom locally and globally in light of the transformations it is witnessing that everyone is proud of and the authentic story it possesses that is engraved in the depths of history."

He explained that the Saudi Cinema Society is the first non-profit civil society association specializing in the cinema sector in the Kingdom, and was officially established in August 2021, with its headquarters in the city of Khobar, supervised by the Ministry of Culture and authorized at the Kingdom level.

He pointed out that the Society aims to develop the film sector, empower filmmakers, promote and disseminate the culture of cinema, and develop the infrastructure for cinematic creativity in the Kingdom.

He added that its pivotal role is to provide a training environment, The association seeks to empower professionals through workshops, training, and developing texts, in addition to providing technical and model consultations.

Gathering Filmmakers

In unifying professional efforts, the association works as a platform to bring together filmmakers, critics, and those interested to exchange experiences and develop professional practices. And to its role in organizing events and festivals, and representing filmmakers, which contributes to the growth of local production, such as the Saudi Film Festival, which is a platform for exchanging experiences and showcasing Saudi production, consolidating the Saudi cinematic identity, and contributing to the creative economy of the Kingdom in accordance with the objectives of "Vision 2030" To develop culture and arts, by nurturing talent and highlighting Saudi stories on the global map.

Al-Mulla added that the twelfth session of the festival will be held in 2026 in partnership with the Center "Enrichment" With the support of the Film Commission, he stressed that cinematic works in the Kingdom, especially those directed by associations, face challenges in professional implementation and adherence to a specific timetable and budget.

It is noteworthy that Hani Al-Mulla is active in the filmmaking and production sector, where he worked as an executive producer for the series "Mazaib threads"He is an international film judge and author of a novel "The Little Prisoner: A Saudi in Russian Prisons" Which was published in 2020, and which is currently being transferred from paper pages to cinema screens.

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