‘Four Daughters’ & ‘Goodbye Julia’ Lead Nominations For 8th Edition Of Critics Awards For Arab Films
Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania’s Oscar-nominated documentary Four Daughters and Sudanese director Mohamed Kordofani’s Lupita Nyong’o-EPed drama Goodbye Julia lead the nominations in the eighth edition of the Critics Awards for Arab Films.
Hybrid work Four Daughters, exploring the story of a real-life Tunisian mother who lost two of her daughters to Isis after they were radicalized by a local preacher, world premiered in Competition in Cannes last year.
The film won Cannes’ Golden Eye for Best Documentary and also went on to be nominated for Best Documentary at the 2024 Academy Awards.
Kordofani’s Khartoum-set drama Goodbye Julia was also at Cannes in 2023, making history as the first Sudanese film to play in the festival across its 76 editions, with a debut in Un Certain Regard. It represented Sudan at in the 2023-24 Oscar race but was not nominated.
Set against the backdrop of the 2011 South Sudan Independence referendum,...
Hybrid work Four Daughters, exploring the story of a real-life Tunisian mother who lost two of her daughters to Isis after they were radicalized by a local preacher, world premiered in Competition in Cannes last year.
The film won Cannes’ Golden Eye for Best Documentary and also went on to be nominated for Best Documentary at the 2024 Academy Awards.
Kordofani’s Khartoum-set drama Goodbye Julia was also at Cannes in 2023, making history as the first Sudanese film to play in the festival across its 76 editions, with a debut in Un Certain Regard. It represented Sudan at in the 2023-24 Oscar race but was not nominated.
Set against the backdrop of the 2011 South Sudan Independence referendum,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Saudi director and producer Osama Alkhurayji’s debut feature film “Siwar” recently wrapped principal photography in AlUla, the swathe of northwest Saudi Arabia comprising ancient artifacts, a lush oasis and sandstone canyons that’s becoming a burgeoning local film production hub.
“Siwar” involves two families – one Turkish, the other Saudi – whose fates become entangled due to a revelation about their newborns. In the film, AlUla stands in for Najran, the city in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the Yemen border. The drama delves into the dynamics of how the lives of Yaner, a Turkish father played by Serkan Genç (“The Game-Hiyleger Axmaqlar”), and Hamad, a Saudi father played by Fhaid Bin Mohammed, intersect after their sons are swapped at birth.
“Siwar” is the latest Saudi film to shoot in AlUla, following Netflix drama “The Matchmaker” and Saudi auteur Tawfik Alzaidi’s debut feature “Norah” that – after premiering locally in December at...
“Siwar” involves two families – one Turkish, the other Saudi – whose fates become entangled due to a revelation about their newborns. In the film, AlUla stands in for Najran, the city in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the Yemen border. The drama delves into the dynamics of how the lives of Yaner, a Turkish father played by Serkan Genç (“The Game-Hiyleger Axmaqlar”), and Hamad, a Saudi father played by Fhaid Bin Mohammed, intersect after their sons are swapped at birth.
“Siwar” is the latest Saudi film to shoot in AlUla, following Netflix drama “The Matchmaker” and Saudi auteur Tawfik Alzaidi’s debut feature “Norah” that – after premiering locally in December at...
- 4/23/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix is currently the streaming service with the biggest subscriber base across 13 Arabic-speaking countries but will lose this leadership position by 2029, according to a new forecast.
There will be 26 million SVOD subscriptions across the 13 Arabic markets by 2029, up from 14 million in 2023, according to research company Digital TV Research. Global streamer Netflix had 3.8 million subscribers as of the end of 2023, followed by Shahid VIP, a streamer owned by Middle Eastern media powerhouse Mbc Group, with 3.5 million and StarzPlay with 3.0 million, according to the firm’s estimates. The Saudi government owns a majority stake in Mbc Group.
The subscriber picture will, however, change in the coming years. By 2029, Shahid VIP will lead the pack with 5.8 million subscribers in the Arabic-speaking countries, followed by Netflix with 5.6 million and StarzPlay with 5 million, Digital TV Research predicts.
Its forecast also projects that Disney+ and Amazon will each reach 3.2 million subscribers across the Arabic-speaking countries in...
There will be 26 million SVOD subscriptions across the 13 Arabic markets by 2029, up from 14 million in 2023, according to research company Digital TV Research. Global streamer Netflix had 3.8 million subscribers as of the end of 2023, followed by Shahid VIP, a streamer owned by Middle Eastern media powerhouse Mbc Group, with 3.5 million and StarzPlay with 3.0 million, according to the firm’s estimates. The Saudi government owns a majority stake in Mbc Group.
The subscriber picture will, however, change in the coming years. By 2029, Shahid VIP will lead the pack with 5.8 million subscribers in the Arabic-speaking countries, followed by Netflix with 5.6 million and StarzPlay with 5 million, Digital TV Research predicts.
Its forecast also projects that Disney+ and Amazon will each reach 3.2 million subscribers across the Arabic-speaking countries in...
- 2/19/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When cinema was still banned in Saudi Arabia, Meshal Aljaser posted his short films on social media, gaining more than 200 million views. His short films “Is Sumyati Going to Hell?” and “Under Concrete” later showed on Netflix, while “Arabian Alien” won awards in Sundance and Atlanta. “Naga”, his first feature, screened in Toronto and Red Sea, and is currently streaming on Netflix.
Naga screened at Red Sea Film Festival
The movie begins with a shocking scene of violence in the 70s, which actually looms over the rest of the story, that takes place, however, in the present, and focuses on Sarah, a young woman who has received a set curfew by her father to return from her visit in the market, which is, though, just an excuse to go on a date with potential suitor Saad. The latter has plans for them to attend an underground party in honor of...
Naga screened at Red Sea Film Festival
The movie begins with a shocking scene of violence in the 70s, which actually looms over the rest of the story, that takes place, however, in the present, and focuses on Sarah, a young woman who has received a set curfew by her father to return from her visit in the market, which is, though, just an excuse to go on a date with potential suitor Saad. The latter has plans for them to attend an underground party in honor of...
- 12/20/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Meshal Al Jaser’s 2023 Netflix film, Naga, chronicled the story of Sarah (Adwa Bader), an average teenager who wanted to break free from the social constraints she was stuck in. Sarah grew up in a highly conservative Muslim family that imposed strict rules on practically everything, spanning from spending time with friends to going out shopping. As expected of their religion, Sarah was told to cover her face in a hijab and the rest of her body in a burka to avoid objections and trouble from her conservative neighbors and parents. However, the more restrictions were imposed on her, the more Sarah wanted to break the rules established by her religion.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Did Sarah Agree To Go To Camp With Saad?
One fine afternoon, Sarah secured permission from her father (Khalid Bin Shaddad) for a shopping retreat, but rather than picking up dresses for an upcoming wedding, she planned to do something else.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Did Sarah Agree To Go To Camp With Saad?
One fine afternoon, Sarah secured permission from her father (Khalid Bin Shaddad) for a shopping retreat, but rather than picking up dresses for an upcoming wedding, she planned to do something else.
- 12/10/2023
- by Rishabh Shandilya
- Film Fugitives
The third edition of the Red Sea Film Festival, wrapping Saturday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, felt like a direct response to a burning question from executives and investors present at the festival’s market arm last year: Could Saudi Arabia step out from drama and comedy and head into genre filmmaking? The answer offered by the festival, it turns out, was a resounding yes.
“Arabs are closer to fantasy than the Western world,” director Yasir Al-Yasiri told Variety of this year’s Red Sea Film Festival opening film, “Hwjn.” The film, a sprawling fantasy about the Arab Jinn culture set and shot in Jeddah, comes at the “right time,” according to the director. “We have the means to do so, and so many talented people have gathered great experience from working abroad with big companies and now they are working in our region.”
“Saudi changed so much that suddenly we had room to explore,...
“Arabs are closer to fantasy than the Western world,” director Yasir Al-Yasiri told Variety of this year’s Red Sea Film Festival opening film, “Hwjn.” The film, a sprawling fantasy about the Arab Jinn culture set and shot in Jeddah, comes at the “right time,” according to the director. “We have the means to do so, and so many talented people have gathered great experience from working abroad with big companies and now they are working in our region.”
“Saudi changed so much that suddenly we had room to explore,...
- 12/9/2023
- by Rafa Sales Ross
- Variety Film + TV
The urge to dazzle can be its own straitjacket, and it’s one that weighs heavily on Meshal Aljaser’s feature debut “Naga.” He aims for a hurtling virtuosity, à la “Run Lola Run,” in depicting a disobedient young Saudi woman’s extreme travails in trying to get home before her strict curfew. But that quarter-century-old German thriller’s simplicity of plot supported its hyperbolic style, while here the writer-director is so preoccupied with camera and editorial calisthenics, nothing else has a chance to come into focus. The flamboyant but hollow results feel like too conscious a calling card for a talent that next time out should embrace some restraint, not to mention substance.
A 1970 prologue of murky relevance starts things off at peak melodramatic and cinematic hysteria, as a man enters a hospital with an automatic weapon while Dp Ibraheem Alshangeeti does upside-down 360’s for no obvious reason. In the present day,...
A 1970 prologue of murky relevance starts things off at peak melodramatic and cinematic hysteria, as a man enters a hospital with an automatic weapon while Dp Ibraheem Alshangeeti does upside-down 360’s for no obvious reason. In the present day,...
- 12/7/2023
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
International execs note the quality of projects on offer and growth potential of Saudi industry
A significant number of international executives have beaten a path to the Red Sea International Film Festival’s market over the past week to explore opportunities in the rapidly growing Saudi film market.
The Souk took place for four busy days from December 2-5. All the major Saudi players were on the ground, firming up its reputation as the place to learn about the local industry and to strike up relationships.
Red Sea managing director Shivani Pandya Malhotra said industry accreditation was up by 10% on last year,...
A significant number of international executives have beaten a path to the Red Sea International Film Festival’s market over the past week to explore opportunities in the rapidly growing Saudi film market.
The Souk took place for four busy days from December 2-5. All the major Saudi players were on the ground, firming up its reputation as the place to learn about the local industry and to strike up relationships.
Red Sea managing director Shivani Pandya Malhotra said industry accreditation was up by 10% on last year,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Young Saudi director Meshal Al Jaser, who springs from the country’s vibrant YouTube scene, is making a splash with his madcap feature debut “Naga,” in which a young woman named Sara goes on a date and takes drugs in the desert. She then must overcome various obstacles, including a rabid camel, to get home before the curfew set by her punishment-prone father.
Produced by Saudi’s prominent Telfaz11 production company in tandem with Netflix, “Naga” marks the first Saudi film selected for Toronto’s Midnight Madness program and is now premiering locally to ravishing response at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah.
Born in Riyadh, Al Jaser began making films at the age of 17, during the country’s now lifted cinema ban. He spearheaded an infamous “Folaim” YouTube channel that garnered more than 200 million views.
In 2017, when Saudi Arabia revived its cinema industry and removed the ban on theaters,...
Produced by Saudi’s prominent Telfaz11 production company in tandem with Netflix, “Naga” marks the first Saudi film selected for Toronto’s Midnight Madness program and is now premiering locally to ravishing response at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah.
Born in Riyadh, Al Jaser began making films at the age of 17, during the country’s now lifted cinema ban. He spearheaded an infamous “Folaim” YouTube channel that garnered more than 200 million views.
In 2017, when Saudi Arabia revived its cinema industry and removed the ban on theaters,...
- 12/4/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
’We strive to make each film distinct from one another,’ says co-founder Ali Fadan
Over the past twelve months, Telfaz11 has established itself at the forefront of the Saudi production industry.
Its comedy Sattar became the number one Saudi film ever, and the fourth biggest release of all time at the Saudi box office, with over 918,000 admissions.
Two Telfaz11 films – Ali Kalthami’s drama Mandoob and Meshal Aljaser’s suspense thriller Naga – world premiered at Toronto.
Both are playing at Red Sea before being released later this month: Naga on Netflix on December 7 and Mandoob in theatres on December 14. Abdullah...
Over the past twelve months, Telfaz11 has established itself at the forefront of the Saudi production industry.
Its comedy Sattar became the number one Saudi film ever, and the fourth biggest release of all time at the Saudi box office, with over 918,000 admissions.
Two Telfaz11 films – Ali Kalthami’s drama Mandoob and Meshal Aljaser’s suspense thriller Naga – world premiered at Toronto.
Both are playing at Red Sea before being released later this month: Naga on Netflix on December 7 and Mandoob in theatres on December 14. Abdullah...
- 12/4/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
The final month of 2023 has arrived, bringing with it a slew of new titles on streaming. While December is dominated by holiday fare, including horror, this month brings notable new releases, unearthed deep cuts, family friendly frights, and a highly anticipated genre epic. So here’s a quick, handy guide for the standout horror titles streaming in December 2023.
These ten noteworthy horror titles will be available for streaming this month on some of the most popular streaming services out there. Here’s when/where you can watch them.
Adam Chaplin – Screambox – Available Now
Kicking off December’s streaming is one of the goriest movies you likely haven’t seen. Necrostorm’s slaughterhouse actioner hails from co-directors Emanuele De Santi and Giulio De Santi, and the film also stars De Santi as Adam. Following the suspicious death of his wife, he investigates her murder and discovers mafia boss Denny is involved.
These ten noteworthy horror titles will be available for streaming this month on some of the most popular streaming services out there. Here’s when/where you can watch them.
Adam Chaplin – Screambox – Available Now
Kicking off December’s streaming is one of the goriest movies you likely haven’t seen. Necrostorm’s slaughterhouse actioner hails from co-directors Emanuele De Santi and Giulio De Santi, and the film also stars De Santi as Adam. Following the suspicious death of his wife, he investigates her murder and discovers mafia boss Denny is involved.
- 12/3/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Ali Kalthami jokingly asserts that Telfaz11, the Saudi Arabia production company he helped co-found more than 10 years ago — long before the country announced it was reopening cinemas for the first time in 35 years — is currently the “hot thing” in the local film industry.
He’s not exactly wrong.
The company’s first feature Sattar smashed Saudi box office records at the start of the year, becoming the most successful local feature of all time in the space of a couple of weeks, and would go on to beat most major Hollywood releases (including Barbie). Less than 12 months on at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah it currently has two of buzziest titles screening in Naga and Mandoob, both of which premiered in Toronto. Screenings for the films were among the first to sell out.
Suspense thriller Naga — part of a multi-picture deal Telfaz11 signed with Netflix — comes from writer...
He’s not exactly wrong.
The company’s first feature Sattar smashed Saudi box office records at the start of the year, becoming the most successful local feature of all time in the space of a couple of weeks, and would go on to beat most major Hollywood releases (including Barbie). Less than 12 months on at the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah it currently has two of buzziest titles screening in Naga and Mandoob, both of which premiered in Toronto. Screenings for the films were among the first to sell out.
Suspense thriller Naga — part of a multi-picture deal Telfaz11 signed with Netflix — comes from writer...
- 12/2/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix has boarded Saudi Arabian multi-hyphenate Fatima Al-Banawi’s feature film debut “Basma” which tackles the theme of mental illness in her country.
The groundbreaking film is set in Jeddah, the city on the Red Sea’s eastern shore where Saudi’s Red Sea Film Festival is currently underway.
Besides writing and directing “Basma,” Al Banawi – who has a psychology degree and also a masters in theological studies from Harvard – also stars as the 26-year-old daughter of a man who suffers from paranoid delusions. Upon returning from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia, Basma tries to save him from his spiraling mental instability before being forced to leave her father again.
Al-Banawi’s first acting role was in Mahmoud Sabbagh’s groundbreaking 2016 comedy “Barakah Meets Barakah” that put her in the international spotlight after the film went to Berlin and was selected as Saudi’s international Oscar candidate.
“Basma,” which...
The groundbreaking film is set in Jeddah, the city on the Red Sea’s eastern shore where Saudi’s Red Sea Film Festival is currently underway.
Besides writing and directing “Basma,” Al Banawi – who has a psychology degree and also a masters in theological studies from Harvard – also stars as the 26-year-old daughter of a man who suffers from paranoid delusions. Upon returning from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia, Basma tries to save him from his spiraling mental instability before being forced to leave her father again.
Al-Banawi’s first acting role was in Mahmoud Sabbagh’s groundbreaking 2016 comedy “Barakah Meets Barakah” that put her in the international spotlight after the film went to Berlin and was selected as Saudi’s international Oscar candidate.
“Basma,” which...
- 12/2/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Writer/director Meshal Aljaser’s Naga had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival back in September, and we’ve learned today that it’s now coming to Netflix.
Naga will begin streaming exclusively on Netflix Thursday, December 7.
In the Saudi genre film, “Stranded amid Riyadh’s desert dunes, Sarah, a local Saudi girl, escapes heartaches and the vengeance of a vigorous camel after discreetly sneaking out of her parent’s home for a romantic date that landed her astray.”
Adwa Bader, Khalid Bin Shaddad, Amal Alharbi and Yazeed Almajyul star.
Joe Lipsett reviewed Naga for Bloody Disgusting out of TIFF, raving: “Between the virtuoso camerawork and the ticking clock, Naga‘s closest spiritual comparison is the adrenaline rush of Run Lola Run.” Joe’s review continues, “Naga is an incredibly exciting, dynamic thriller featuring an assured performance from lead actress Adwa Bader.
“The film never shies away...
Naga will begin streaming exclusively on Netflix Thursday, December 7.
In the Saudi genre film, “Stranded amid Riyadh’s desert dunes, Sarah, a local Saudi girl, escapes heartaches and the vengeance of a vigorous camel after discreetly sneaking out of her parent’s home for a romantic date that landed her astray.”
Adwa Bader, Khalid Bin Shaddad, Amal Alharbi and Yazeed Almajyul star.
Joe Lipsett reviewed Naga for Bloody Disgusting out of TIFF, raving: “Between the virtuoso camerawork and the ticking clock, Naga‘s closest spiritual comparison is the adrenaline rush of Run Lola Run.” Joe’s review continues, “Naga is an incredibly exciting, dynamic thriller featuring an assured performance from lead actress Adwa Bader.
“The film never shies away...
- 12/1/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Zack Snyder’s latest big-budget effects-driven feature, an awards contender from Todd Haynes, Bradley Cooper’s sensitive portrayal of an American icon, a beloved follow-up to an Aardman classic and the conclusion of The Crown are some of the highlights of a jam-packed December schedule on Netflix.
Haynes’ drama May December debuts on Netflix on Dec. 1. Loosely inspired by the story of Mary Kay Letourneau, the film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this year, is led by A-listers Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore and also stars Charles Melton, who was named best supporting actor by New York critics this week.
Sam Esmail’s feature Leave the World Behind is another heavyweight addition to Netflix in December. Starring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali and Ethan Hawke, the psychological thriller tells the story of survival in a world on the brink of collapse. Written, directed and produced by Esmail, the film...
Haynes’ drama May December debuts on Netflix on Dec. 1. Loosely inspired by the story of Mary Kay Letourneau, the film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this year, is led by A-listers Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore and also stars Charles Melton, who was named best supporting actor by New York critics this week.
Sam Esmail’s feature Leave the World Behind is another heavyweight addition to Netflix in December. Starring Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali and Ethan Hawke, the psychological thriller tells the story of survival in a world on the brink of collapse. Written, directed and produced by Esmail, the film...
- 12/1/2023
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The initiative celebrates Arab talent and highlights the hottest up-and-coming actors, writers and directors from the region.
Screen International has unveiled the five emerging Middle East and North Africa talents in the fields of acting and directing selected for the seventh edition of Arab Stars Of Tomorrow.
This year’s line-up comprises Adwa Bader, the actress and poet from Saudi Arabia; Jordan’s Cynthia Madanat Sharaiha, director; Egyptian writer and director Morad Mostafa; Palestinian actor Muhammad Abed El Rahman; and fellow Jordanian actress Noor Taher.
The initiative celebrates Arab talent and highlights the hottest up-and-coming actors, writers and directors who...
Screen International has unveiled the five emerging Middle East and North Africa talents in the fields of acting and directing selected for the seventh edition of Arab Stars Of Tomorrow.
This year’s line-up comprises Adwa Bader, the actress and poet from Saudi Arabia; Jordan’s Cynthia Madanat Sharaiha, director; Egyptian writer and director Morad Mostafa; Palestinian actor Muhammad Abed El Rahman; and fellow Jordanian actress Noor Taher.
The initiative celebrates Arab talent and highlights the hottest up-and-coming actors, writers and directors who...
- 12/1/2023
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
It’s a good month for movies on Netflix in December, as The Super Mario Bros. Movie lands on the streamer for those Nintendo fans who have either been waiting to check it out, or who can’t wait to watch it again.
Netflix’s critically acclaimed new film May December also debuts this month. Directed by Todd Haynes (Dark Waters) and starring Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman, the film focuses on a couple whose relationship once hit the tabloids due to their large age gap. When an actress comes to their home in a bid to research their story for a role, things quickly spiral. Expect the best kind of drama from this one!
Also coming to Netflix in December is the highly anticipated epic biopic Maestro, which chronicles the lifelong relationship between legendary composer Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein (Carey Mulligan). Cooper directed and co-wrote the film,...
Netflix’s critically acclaimed new film May December also debuts this month. Directed by Todd Haynes (Dark Waters) and starring Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman, the film focuses on a couple whose relationship once hit the tabloids due to their large age gap. When an actress comes to their home in a bid to research their story for a role, things quickly spiral. Expect the best kind of drama from this one!
Also coming to Netflix in December is the highly anticipated epic biopic Maestro, which chronicles the lifelong relationship between legendary composer Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) and Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein (Carey Mulligan). Cooper directed and co-wrote the film,...
- 12/1/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
Saudi event has become a magnet for international execs and talent
As the third edition Red Sea International Film Festival kicks off today, the fledgling Saudi event has fast become a magnet for an international industry looking to access funding, talent and stories from the Middle East.
A significant number of international sales agents, distributors, financiers, producers and festival chiefs are travelling to Jeddah for Red Sea for the first time this year, making the trip despite regional tensions caused by Israel-Hamas war and an anticipated post-strike scaling up of production in the US and Europe.
At a time...
As the third edition Red Sea International Film Festival kicks off today, the fledgling Saudi event has fast become a magnet for an international industry looking to access funding, talent and stories from the Middle East.
A significant number of international sales agents, distributors, financiers, producers and festival chiefs are travelling to Jeddah for Red Sea for the first time this year, making the trip despite regional tensions caused by Israel-Hamas war and an anticipated post-strike scaling up of production in the US and Europe.
At a time...
- 11/30/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival stands as testimony to the kingdom’s unwavering drive to become a film and TV industry powerhouse amid regional conflicts, political turbulence and societal changes.
The Israel-Hamas war caused cancellations of several movie celebrations across the Arab world, including the Cairo Film Festival and Tunisia’s Carthage Film Days. But Saudi’s rapidly growing fest is forging ahead undeterred with its third edition set to run Nov. 30-Dec. 9 in Jeddah, on the Red Sea’s eastern shore.
In early October, after the war broke out, “we were assessing the situation day by day,” recalls pioneering Saudi producer and philanthropist Mohammed Al Turki, the event’s CEO, who notes that Red Sea organizers at that point reached out to filmmakers in the Middle East and North Africa region for feedback “and they almost had a heart attack when we told them we might not continue.
The Israel-Hamas war caused cancellations of several movie celebrations across the Arab world, including the Cairo Film Festival and Tunisia’s Carthage Film Days. But Saudi’s rapidly growing fest is forging ahead undeterred with its third edition set to run Nov. 30-Dec. 9 in Jeddah, on the Red Sea’s eastern shore.
In early October, after the war broke out, “we were assessing the situation day by day,” recalls pioneering Saudi producer and philanthropist Mohammed Al Turki, the event’s CEO, who notes that Red Sea organizers at that point reached out to filmmakers in the Middle East and North Africa region for feedback “and they almost had a heart attack when we told them we might not continue.
- 11/29/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has announced details of this year's selection of films from Saudi Arabia, alongside the Arab Spectacular and Red Sea: Competition features strands. Collectively, these strands will showcase the rich and varied work by established and new filmmakers from the region, including documentaries and titles produced by the Red Sea Film Foundation.
The third edition of the Rsiff – running from 30 November to 9 December – providesa unique and powerful platform for celebrating film, connecting cultures, and expanding horizons while welcoming stories from all walks of life. It is a comprehensive cinematic platform that promotes diversity in all facets of filmmaking, elevating it beyond just a film screening event. These ideas of diversity, connection, and cultural exchange are manifested in this year's theme; “Your Story, Your Festival”.
While celebrating cinema on a global scale, Red Sea Iff throws a spotlight on films made in the...
The third edition of the Rsiff – running from 30 November to 9 December – providesa unique and powerful platform for celebrating film, connecting cultures, and expanding horizons while welcoming stories from all walks of life. It is a comprehensive cinematic platform that promotes diversity in all facets of filmmaking, elevating it beyond just a film screening event. These ideas of diversity, connection, and cultural exchange are manifested in this year's theme; “Your Story, Your Festival”.
While celebrating cinema on a global scale, Red Sea Iff throws a spotlight on films made in the...
- 11/10/2023
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival has announced the bulk of its lineup from the Middle East and North Africa (Mena), signaling that the event is forging ahead with its third edition despite the Israel-Hamas war that has caused cancellations of several movie celebrations across the Arab world.
The fest’s third edition, set to run Nov. 30-Dec. 9 in Jeddah, on the Red Sea’s eastern shore, will feature a slew of films from the Mena region and comprise 11 feature films from Saudi, underlining the local film industry’s growth. This year’s theme is “Your Story, Your Festival”.
There are two Saudi films in the 17-title competition dedicated to features from the Arab world as well as Africa and Asia. They are “Norah,” a drama by first-time helmer Tawfik Alzaidi set in 1990s Saudi Arabia, when conservatism was at its height, and Ali Alkalthami’s bold comedy “Mandoob...
The fest’s third edition, set to run Nov. 30-Dec. 9 in Jeddah, on the Red Sea’s eastern shore, will feature a slew of films from the Mena region and comprise 11 feature films from Saudi, underlining the local film industry’s growth. This year’s theme is “Your Story, Your Festival”.
There are two Saudi films in the 17-title competition dedicated to features from the Arab world as well as Africa and Asia. They are “Norah,” a drama by first-time helmer Tawfik Alzaidi set in 1990s Saudi Arabia, when conservatism was at its height, and Ali Alkalthami’s bold comedy “Mandoob...
- 11/6/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The Red Sea International Film Festival has unveiled its selection of 36 movies from Saudi Arabia, as well as its Arab Spectacular and Red Sea: Competition lineups for this year’s third edition.
“Collectively, these strands will showcase the rich and varied work by established and new filmmakers from the region, including documentaries and titles produced by the Red Sea Film Foundation,” organizers said on Monday.
The program will put a spotlight on films made in the Middle East and North Africa region, featuring 36 feature-length and short films from Saudi Arabia. “The lineup includes internationally recognized talent plus new voices; from Maïwenn’s historical romance Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp which opened at Cannes with support from the Red Sea International Film Financing arm, to Kaouther Ben Hania with Four Daughters, nominated as Tunisia’s submission for international feature at the forthcoming Academy Awards,” the festival said. “Further directors selected...
“Collectively, these strands will showcase the rich and varied work by established and new filmmakers from the region, including documentaries and titles produced by the Red Sea Film Foundation,” organizers said on Monday.
The program will put a spotlight on films made in the Middle East and North Africa region, featuring 36 feature-length and short films from Saudi Arabia. “The lineup includes internationally recognized talent plus new voices; from Maïwenn’s historical romance Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp which opened at Cannes with support from the Red Sea International Film Financing arm, to Kaouther Ben Hania with Four Daughters, nominated as Tunisia’s submission for international feature at the forthcoming Academy Awards,” the festival said. “Further directors selected...
- 11/6/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival has unveiled it 2023 line-up and theme as it maintains its third edition against the backdrop of the escalating Israel-Gaza Conflict. (scroll down for full list)
The edition, running from November 30 to December 9 in the port city of Jeddah, will unfold under the theme of “Your Story, Your Festival”.
Among the key sections announced on Monday was the Red Sea International Film Festival: In Competition section which will showcase 17 narrative and documentary features from Asia, Africa, and the Arab world.
Contenders include UK-Palestinian director Farah Nabulsi critically-acclaimed West Bank-set first feature The Teacher, Tunisian-Moroccan filmmaking couple Afef Ben Mahmoud and Khalil Benkirane’s Atlas Mountains-set, theatre troupe road movie Backstage, Tawfik Alzaidi’s Norah, which is billed as the first Saudi feature shot in the country’s growing location hub of AlUla, and Iranian director Parviz Shahbazi’s drama Roxana, for which its...
The edition, running from November 30 to December 9 in the port city of Jeddah, will unfold under the theme of “Your Story, Your Festival”.
Among the key sections announced on Monday was the Red Sea International Film Festival: In Competition section which will showcase 17 narrative and documentary features from Asia, Africa, and the Arab world.
Contenders include UK-Palestinian director Farah Nabulsi critically-acclaimed West Bank-set first feature The Teacher, Tunisian-Moroccan filmmaking couple Afef Ben Mahmoud and Khalil Benkirane’s Atlas Mountains-set, theatre troupe road movie Backstage, Tawfik Alzaidi’s Norah, which is billed as the first Saudi feature shot in the country’s growing location hub of AlUla, and Iranian director Parviz Shahbazi’s drama Roxana, for which its...
- 11/6/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Maïwenn’s Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp, will have a special screening at the festival
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has unveiled the line-up for its Competition and Arab Spectacular strands.
The festival will take place from November 30-December 9 in the port city of Jeddah under the theme ’Your Stories, Your Festival.’
Red Sea Iff’s line-up throws a spotlight on films made in the Mena region and includes 36 feature length and short films from Saudi Arabia, including documentaries and titles produced by the Red Sea Film Foundation.
The Competition strand includes 17 films from Asia,...
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has unveiled the line-up for its Competition and Arab Spectacular strands.
The festival will take place from November 30-December 9 in the port city of Jeddah under the theme ’Your Stories, Your Festival.’
Red Sea Iff’s line-up throws a spotlight on films made in the Mena region and includes 36 feature length and short films from Saudi Arabia, including documentaries and titles produced by the Red Sea Film Foundation.
The Competition strand includes 17 films from Asia,...
- 11/6/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Maïwenn’s Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp, will have a special screening at the festival
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has unveiled the line-up for its Competition and Arab Spectacular strands.
The festival, which takes place from November 30-December 9, will also give special screenings to Maïwenn’s historical romance Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp, which was supported by Red Sea’s financing arm and opened Cannes, and to Dhafer L’abidine’s Saudi-uae co-production To My Son, which world premieres at the festival.
Red Sea Iff’s line-up throws a spotlight on films made in...
The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) has unveiled the line-up for its Competition and Arab Spectacular strands.
The festival, which takes place from November 30-December 9, will also give special screenings to Maïwenn’s historical romance Jeanne du Barry, starring Johnny Depp, which was supported by Red Sea’s financing arm and opened Cannes, and to Dhafer L’abidine’s Saudi-uae co-production To My Son, which world premieres at the festival.
Red Sea Iff’s line-up throws a spotlight on films made in...
- 11/6/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Sara is in the middle of the desert, a fair drive from her city of Riyadh. She's been taking drugs. The police raided the event she was at, scattering everyone. She can't find her boyfriend. She doesn't have the keys to his car. She has to get back to the city by 9:59pm exactly. Exactly, or she faces literal deadly consequences from her father. Oh, and did I mention there's a rabid camel on the loose? Saudi Arabian filmmaker Meshal Al Jaser spares no problem for his heroine, in his feature debut Naga. Part horror, part thriller, part car chase, part dark comedy, all rolled into one dangerous, incredibly tense night that will push Sara to utilize all her skills to get home before it's...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 9/13/2023
- Screen Anarchy
Writer/director Meshal Aljaser’s Naga opens with a moment of shocking violence: in 1970, a man with a gun moves through the halls of a hospital, searching for his pregnant wife. When he finds her, he murders her and the male doctor, incensed that his baby boy wasn’t delivered by a female doctor as he prescribed.
The incident hangs heavy over the entire film – in part because of the random nature of the violence, but more specifically because it is so gendered. Saudi Arabia is a deeply patriarchal society where the rules of men are paramount and the penalties for women who “misbehave” are severe.
This is certainly the experience of Sara (Adwa Bader), the daughter of an affluent and intimidatingly strict man (Khalid Bin Shaddad). In the present day, Sara is gently rebelling however she can: she smokes (discreetly) and she has a secret boyfriend, Saad (Yazeed Almajyul...
The incident hangs heavy over the entire film – in part because of the random nature of the violence, but more specifically because it is so gendered. Saudi Arabia is a deeply patriarchal society where the rules of men are paramount and the penalties for women who “misbehave” are severe.
This is certainly the experience of Sara (Adwa Bader), the daughter of an affluent and intimidatingly strict man (Khalid Bin Shaddad). In the present day, Sara is gently rebelling however she can: she smokes (discreetly) and she has a secret boyfriend, Saad (Yazeed Almajyul...
- 9/13/2023
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
Long before it was officially announced, in late 2017, that Saudi Arabia’s 30-year ban on cinemas would be lifted, there’d been widespread gossip across the kingdom that the news was incoming.
“There was this rumor going around that there were theaters in malls already, and they’d just pull the curtain back and be like ‘tada, cinemas!,” says Alaa Fadan. As Ibraheem Al Khairallah recalls: “I remember looking around and thinking, ‘Is that the corner of a cinema?’”
But Fadan and Al Khairallah weren’t simply Saudi movie fans eagerly waiting in anticipation. As co-founders of pioneering Riyadh-based content studio Telfaz11 alongside fellow multi-hyphenate Ali Kalthami, they’d spent years carefully preparing themselves and their company, which began life making online videos, in order to take full advantage whenever the historic news would land. As Fadan notes: “We were ready for it — everything that we’d done was about...
“There was this rumor going around that there were theaters in malls already, and they’d just pull the curtain back and be like ‘tada, cinemas!,” says Alaa Fadan. As Ibraheem Al Khairallah recalls: “I remember looking around and thinking, ‘Is that the corner of a cinema?’”
But Fadan and Al Khairallah weren’t simply Saudi movie fans eagerly waiting in anticipation. As co-founders of pioneering Riyadh-based content studio Telfaz11 alongside fellow multi-hyphenate Ali Kalthami, they’d spent years carefully preparing themselves and their company, which began life making online videos, in order to take full advantage whenever the historic news would land. As Fadan notes: “We were ready for it — everything that we’d done was about...
- 9/9/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As you read this, new titles from filmmakers of Tunisian, Moroccan and Franco-Palestinian-Algerian heritage are making their mark at the Venice Film Festival, while Toronto Film Festival will premiere a trio of first features from Saudi Arabia, along with discoveries from the UAE and Palestine, plus a handful of Arab titles screened at Cannes and Venice. Those in the know say that the annual number of Arab films produced has increased along with the emergence of new filmmakers, and that fall festivals such as El Gouna, Marrakech, Cairo and Red Sea will be chockablock with fresh regional titles.
Last year, Venice boasted a remarkably large crop of Arab-language features, but a strong Cannes 2023 selection of Arabic cinema that claimed kudos in various sections of the French fest left the Biennale with a picked over selection. Nevertheless, Venice can claim credit for nurturing this year’s Cannes Critics’ Week prize-winner “Inshallah a Boy...
Last year, Venice boasted a remarkably large crop of Arab-language features, but a strong Cannes 2023 selection of Arabic cinema that claimed kudos in various sections of the French fest left the Biennale with a picked over selection. Nevertheless, Venice can claim credit for nurturing this year’s Cannes Critics’ Week prize-winner “Inshallah a Boy...
- 9/4/2023
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
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