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9th Saudi Film Festival to Kick Off on May 4th

  • Publish date: Wednesday، 03 May 2023
9th Saudi Film Festival to Kick Off on May 4th

The Saudi Film Festival, in its ninth edition, will kick off on Thursday, May 4th.

The festival is scheduled to conclude on May 11th.

This year’s edition comes under the theme 'Comedy', and the audience is looking forward to the screening of 78 films on display within 48 screening groups, and four groups for children.

 For the first time in the festival, it will be possible to watch eight films through virtual reality devices designed to create a different cinematic experience.

Organized by the Cinema Association and in partnership with Ithra, the festival is supported by the Saudi Film Commission and sponsored by the Red Sea International Film Festival.

Ahmed Al-Mulla, director of the Saudi Film Festival, said: “The extended partnership between the Cinema Association and Ithra which began in 2015 is only part of the role represented by the two sides in empowering filmmakers and cinematic talents by providing all aspects of support to them.”

The opening of the festival will see the screening of the animated short film ‘Saleeg’ for the first time. ‘Saleeg’ was created by Saudi filmmaker Afnan Bawyan.

“I did not expect to see ‘Saleeg’ selected for the festival opening, I just wanted my film to be showcased to the public in Saudi Arabia. I feel content yet there is some tension at the same time because the responsibility is big,” Bawyan told Arab News.

'Saleeg' is 9 minutes and 39 seconds long, and was produced in 2022 using various puppetry techniques. The name of the movie is inspired by the traditional Saudi dish from Taif in the Makkah region.