Shivani Pandya Malhotra is the Managing Director of the Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF).
She joined the Red Sea Foundation in 2019 to spearhead the launch of RSIFF, with the remit to create an event in Saudi Arabia to promote cross-cultural exchange and foster the growth of the Arab film industry, positioning Saudi Arabia as a contributor to the international film industry, whilst also creating and delivering a world class event.

With over 25 years of experience in the media & entertainment industry, Shivani Pandya Malhotra was listed among Variety’s top 500 leaders shaping the global entertainment industry and by The National as one of the most influential women in the region responsible for evolving the cultural landscape.

Shivani was a core member of the team that launched Dubai Media City and went on to spearhead both the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) and Gulf Film Festival (GFF) in the role of Managing Director. Under her leadership, DIFF become recognized as a principal cultural event and the leading festival in the region. Shivani helped with the development of the industry by launching various funding and co-production initiatives and has supported over 300 projects through these initiatives, she also sat on the board of the Dubai Film & TV Commission.

Shivani also has several projects in development, working with a wave of exciting emerging filmmakers from the region to develop and produce compelling stories across a variety of genres and formats.

Shivani began her career in India and was branch head for United Studios Limited, a subsidiary of the UTV Group before moving to the UAE. Shivani has a Bachelors’ in Economics, a Masters’ in Communication, and a Masters’ in Project Management, and has completed leadership programmes at Harvard Business School