Saudi creative studio Telfaz11 and music platform MDLBEAST unveiled a strategic partnership on the fringes of the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah on Monday.
The agreement unites two of the hippest entertainment brands to have emerged out of Saudi Arabia in the wake of its lifting in 2017 of a 35-year-ban on cinema and live music performances.
With its roots in Saudi Arabia’s YouTube boom of the 2010s, Telfaz11 has led the way in the country’s indie film scene, with a string of box office record hits including Mandoob and Sattar.
Launched in 2019, MDLBEAST is Saudi Arabia’s biggest music-based entertainment company. It is best known for its Soundstorm music festival, the latest edition of which runs from December 11 to 13 outside Riyadh, with headliners including Cardi B, Post Malone and Calvin Harris.
Under the partnership the companies will collaborate on music licensing and integration across Telfaz11’s upcoming slate of feature films and original productions.
“Our partnership with Telfaz11 expands the creative canvas for Saudi and regional artists and composers and leverages our expansive music library from around the world. Together, we’re amplifying the sounds of culture,” said MDLBEAST COO Talal Albahiti.
The partners celebrated the tie-up at the Red Sea Film Festival with a event at the historic Beyet Xenel building in Jeddah’s historic Al-Balad neighborhood, in partnership with Abu Dhabi’s Image Nation.
Festival guests mingled with a young Saudi crowd, with sets by German DJ Habibi Funk and Saudi Sudanese DJ Shaolin and other guests.
“This partnership underscores our shared commitment to elevating creative and Saudi voices in films and cinema,” said Alaa Fadan, CEO of Telfaz11.
“By joining forces with MDLBEAST Records, we’re combining the power of Telfaz11’s storytelling with the cultural energy of music — creating authentic, emotionally charged cinematic worlds that resonate with our audiences.”
The companies added that their partnership represented an important inflection in building a fully integrated film–music ecosystem, that supports local talent and drives IP value.