(NewsNation) — Actress Dakota Johnson’s belief in movies is being renewed by her experiences while in Saudi Arabia.

“There’s so much I’m learning from being here,” the “Materialists” star said while appearing at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival. “In the States, it feels really grim, and even in the less than 24 hours that I’ve been here in Saudi Arabia, I have a renewed faith in cinema.”

Johnson added she felt inspired by the festival, which spotlights new storytelling trends and emerging talents from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, and the rest of the planet.

“I feel inspired to operate this way in our own production company in the States. I want to support all these filmmakers,” she said.

The “Fifty Shades of Grey” star also praised Jomana R. Alrashid, chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation. The RSFF has been driving to push female filmmakers in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

In 2017, Saudi Arabia lifted a ban on cinemas that had been in place for 35 years.