SUSTAINABLE FILM INDUSTRIES IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH: VALUE CIRCULATION, PRODUCTION MODELS, AND INDUSTRIAL FORMATION IN SAUDI CINEMA

This study contributes to debates on Global South screen industries by examining Saudi Arabia as a contemporary case of state-led film-sector formation. Historical analysis shows persistent fragmentation between production, distribution, and marketing—driven by concentrated exhibition markets and foreign-dominated distribution channels—which limits producers’ ability to reinvest revenue. Drawing on frameworks from film-industry studies and media political economy, the research evaluates three production modes—local production, global service-production, and co-production—and assesses how each shapes value retention, infrastructural development, and cultural formation. A comparative case analysis of Sattar (2022) and Kandahar (2023) demonstrates that while high-budget foreign productions activate infrastructure and provide short-term technical benefits, they generate limited long-term impact due to externalized revenue flows and low domestic value capture. Conversely, locally anchored productions with modest budgets yield higher returns on investment, stronger audience resonance, and deeper contributions to national capacity building. The findings clarify how emerging film ecosystems navigate global–local dynamics and outline the conditions necessary to build a more self-sustaining Saudi film industry, highlighting the need for policies that rebalance market power, strengthen national distributors, decentralize regional infrastructure, and regulate streaming-platform investment.