Will Smith to Be Guest of Honor at Saudi Arabia Movie Biz Trade Show Saudi Film Confex

variety.com:

Rafa Sales Ross Guest Contributor Will Smith is set to give a talk on the opening day of the sophomore edition of the Saudi Film Confex, taking place in Saudi Arabia’s capital of Riyadh between Oct.

9-12. The event, which will welcome the Oscar-winning actor as its guest of honor, will gather both local and international industry experts to discuss how to advance and strengthen the Saudi film industry.

Smith’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” recently became Saudi Arabia’s highest-grossing film of all-time, scoring a whopping 1.7 million admissions in the country following its July 25 release.

The American actor has been a recurrent presence in the kingdom in the past year, travelling to Riyadh for the premiere of “Bad Boys” back in May and giving a talk at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah last December, when he also visited Neom, a burgeoning film production destination in the north west of the country that has attracted major productions such as Rupert Wyatt’s “Desert Warrior.” The Saudi Confex team announced Smith will “share his creative visions and reflections on his career during a discussion session, providing inspiration for a new future in the film industry.” Promoted by the Saudi Film Commission, the event is aligned with the country’s Saudi Vision 2030, a government program aimed at increasing economic, social and cultural diversification in the kingdom and the catalyst for Saudi’s reopening of movie theaters in 2018 following a 40-year ban.