Actor Mohammed Elshehri belongs to a generation of emerging Saudi talents who first cut their teeth on YouTube and are now making their names in film and TV.
The rising star will be master of ceremonies at the upcoming Saudi Film Festival in the Eastern Province city of Dhahran, which will be celebrating its 10th edition from from May 2 to 9.
Elshehri is just coming off the third season of the hit Mbc Ramadan comedy TV series Road Trip (Sekket Safar).
The show follows the daily adventures and mishaps of three brothers trying to keep the family businesses of an inn, gas station and grocery store afloat, following the death of their father who appears to them as a ghost whenever they make a mistake.
Elshehri’s master of ceremonies role takes him back an earlier time in his career, as a TV and event presenter.
This work grew out of YouTube show Trailer,...
The rising star will be master of ceremonies at the upcoming Saudi Film Festival in the Eastern Province city of Dhahran, which will be celebrating its 10th edition from from May 2 to 9.
Elshehri is just coming off the third season of the hit Mbc Ramadan comedy TV series Road Trip (Sekket Safar).
The show follows the daily adventures and mishaps of three brothers trying to keep the family businesses of an inn, gas station and grocery store afloat, following the death of their father who appears to them as a ghost whenever they make a mistake.
Elshehri’s master of ceremonies role takes him back an earlier time in his career, as a TV and event presenter.
This work grew out of YouTube show Trailer,...
- 4/23/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Saudi Arabia’s top local film distribution player CineWaves Films has announced the opening of a China office that it claims makes it the first Arab cultural entity to establish a physical presence in the world’s second-largest movie market.
The official announcement was made over the weekend during the Arab-Chinese Animation Forum by Zha Yindong, the deputy mayor of the city of Suzhou; and Saudi film industry pioneer Faisal Baltyuor, founder and CEO of CineWaves Films, in the presence of Chinese government representatives and cultural sectors.
“There are a lot of initiatives that are being taken in Saudi Arabia when it comes to cinema,” Baltyuor told Variety Tuesday on the sidelines of the Venice Film Festival. “There are collaborations with Hollywood and with Europe in the West, but I didn’t see any initiatives being taken towards the Far East.”
That’s why few years ago Baltyour went to China and tried to connect.
The official announcement was made over the weekend during the Arab-Chinese Animation Forum by Zha Yindong, the deputy mayor of the city of Suzhou; and Saudi film industry pioneer Faisal Baltyuor, founder and CEO of CineWaves Films, in the presence of Chinese government representatives and cultural sectors.
“There are a lot of initiatives that are being taken in Saudi Arabia when it comes to cinema,” Baltyuor told Variety Tuesday on the sidelines of the Venice Film Festival. “There are collaborations with Hollywood and with Europe in the West, but I didn’t see any initiatives being taken towards the Far East.”
That’s why few years ago Baltyour went to China and tried to connect.
- 9/5/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Opening is part of strategy focusing on international expansion and new opportunities for Saudi films worldwide.
Leading Saudi Arabian distributor CineWaves Films has opened an office in China as part of a strategy focusing on international expansion and opening up opportunities for Saudi films worldwide.
CineWaves Film said the new office – in Suzhou, a city west of Shanghai – was the first to be opened by an Arab cultural entity in China.
The announcement came during the Arab-Chinese Animation Forum last week. The Forum aims to foster cooperation between China and Arab countries in IP rights, talent training and the joint...
Leading Saudi Arabian distributor CineWaves Films has opened an office in China as part of a strategy focusing on international expansion and opening up opportunities for Saudi films worldwide.
CineWaves Film said the new office – in Suzhou, a city west of Shanghai – was the first to be opened by an Arab cultural entity in China.
The announcement came during the Arab-Chinese Animation Forum last week. The Forum aims to foster cooperation between China and Arab countries in IP rights, talent training and the joint...
- 9/5/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Saudi Arabia’s Ithra Film Productions has launched a new film fund that aims to attract international filmmakers to shoot fully-financed movies in the kingdom on which local talents and crews can cut their teeth.
Ithra Film — which is a unit of The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, financed by Saudi Aramco Oil Company to promote cultural development – is looking to commission and fund up to five films annually. The level of funding was not disclosed, nor was the criteria for selection besides the requirement that they contribute to foster the growth of Saudi Arabia’s embryonic film industry.
“We invite international filmmakers to collaborate with filmmakers in the kingdom and join us on our journey to accelerate talent and sector development in Saudi,” said Majed Z. Samman, who is head of performing arts and cinema at Ithra, announcing the fund at the Cannes market during a panel at the Saudi pavilion.
Ithra Film — which is a unit of The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, financed by Saudi Aramco Oil Company to promote cultural development – is looking to commission and fund up to five films annually. The level of funding was not disclosed, nor was the criteria for selection besides the requirement that they contribute to foster the growth of Saudi Arabia’s embryonic film industry.
“We invite international filmmakers to collaborate with filmmakers in the kingdom and join us on our journey to accelerate talent and sector development in Saudi,” said Majed Z. Samman, who is head of performing arts and cinema at Ithra, announcing the fund at the Cannes market during a panel at the Saudi pavilion.
- 5/23/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Initiative aims to commission and fund up to five films annually.
Saudi outfit Ithra Film Production has launched a new funding initiative to encourage international filmmakers to collaborate with the region and advance its fast-growing film industry.
The King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, known as Ithra, aims to commission and fund up to five films annually. The level of funding was not disclosed and projects will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
An open call for submissions will run until August 4 and projects will be selected by a panel of Arab filmmakers, the names of which have yet to be revealed.
Saudi outfit Ithra Film Production has launched a new funding initiative to encourage international filmmakers to collaborate with the region and advance its fast-growing film industry.
The King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, known as Ithra, aims to commission and fund up to five films annually. The level of funding was not disclosed and projects will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
An open call for submissions will run until August 4 and projects will be selected by a panel of Arab filmmakers, the names of which have yet to be revealed.
- 5/22/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
“Scapegoat,” a quirky comedy drama about a remote Saudi village, received the top 100,000 prize for a Saudi film in development in the Red Sea Souk awards, as well as a 50,000 minimum guarantee from Cinewaves Films, for acquisition of Arab world distribution rights.
Structured as a 1.5 million Saudi-Netherlands co-production, the project will be directed by Feras Almusharrie and produced by Razan Alsoghayer, both based in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia, and is written by Bahraini filmmaker Taqwa Ali. It participated in the 10-month Red Sea Lodge residency program.
The central character, Dunia, is taken by her uncle from her village as a child, because she is accused of being a witch, following the death of the community’s goats. She returns 15 years later to find the village divided into two zones, blue and white, where the locals hide from each other.
Driven by a rebellious spirit, Dunia’s main mission is to reunite the village.
Structured as a 1.5 million Saudi-Netherlands co-production, the project will be directed by Feras Almusharrie and produced by Razan Alsoghayer, both based in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia, and is written by Bahraini filmmaker Taqwa Ali. It participated in the 10-month Red Sea Lodge residency program.
The central character, Dunia, is taken by her uncle from her village as a child, because she is accused of being a witch, following the death of the community’s goats. She returns 15 years later to find the village divided into two zones, blue and white, where the locals hide from each other.
Driven by a rebellious spirit, Dunia’s main mission is to reunite the village.
- 12/9/2022
- by Martin Dale
- Variety Film + TV
The closing film of the 2nd edition of the Red Sea Film Festival was Khalid Fahad’s debut feature “Valley Road,” which was majority funded by the Ithra Cultural Center – the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, which has become one of Saudi Arabia’s biggest film producers.
The comedy adventure is about a young mute boy, Ali, who lives in a remote Saudi village, with his stern father and doting elder sister Siham, who is studying in a nearby city.
His father takes him on a trip through their picturesque mountain valley, seeking to get him “cured” by the local doctor. But Alia gets lost on the way and embarks on a series of misadventures, amplified by his vivid imagination.
The family is distraught to locate their missing son, and his sister Siham urgently looks for clues as to his whereabouts.
As the characters evolve during the story, it...
The comedy adventure is about a young mute boy, Ali, who lives in a remote Saudi village, with his stern father and doting elder sister Siham, who is studying in a nearby city.
His father takes him on a trip through their picturesque mountain valley, seeking to get him “cured” by the local doctor. But Alia gets lost on the way and embarks on a series of misadventures, amplified by his vivid imagination.
The family is distraught to locate their missing son, and his sister Siham urgently looks for clues as to his whereabouts.
As the characters evolve during the story, it...
- 12/9/2022
- by Martin Dale
- Variety Film + TV
Saudi-Egyptian co-production revolves around the special bond between a young Bedouin orphan and a camel.
Egyptian director A.B. Shawky, whose first feature Yomeddine enjoyed a buzzy Cannes launch in Competition in 2018, has signed to direct Saudi-set coming-of-age tale Sea Of Sands.
The feature is a joint production between Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, known as Ithra, and Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy, whose recent credits include Feathers, Amira and Souad. Ithra’s head of performing arts and cinema Majed Z. Samman also takes a producer credit.
The film revolves around the relationship between a young Bedouin orphan...
Egyptian director A.B. Shawky, whose first feature Yomeddine enjoyed a buzzy Cannes launch in Competition in 2018, has signed to direct Saudi-set coming-of-age tale Sea Of Sands.
The feature is a joint production between Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, known as Ithra, and Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy, whose recent credits include Feathers, Amira and Souad. Ithra’s head of performing arts and cinema Majed Z. Samman also takes a producer credit.
The film revolves around the relationship between a young Bedouin orphan...
- 5/20/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Saudi-Egyptian co-production revolves around the special bond between a young Bedouin orphan and a camel.
Egyptian director A.B. Shawky, whose first feature Yomeddine enjoyed a buzzy Cannes launch in Competition in 2018, has signed to direct Saudi-set coming-of-age tale Hajjan (previously titled Sea Of Sands).
The feature is a joint production between Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, known as Ithra, and Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy, whose recent credits include Feathers, Amira and Souad. Ithra’s head of performing arts and cinema Majed Z. Samman also takes a producer credit.
The film revolves around the relationship between a...
Egyptian director A.B. Shawky, whose first feature Yomeddine enjoyed a buzzy Cannes launch in Competition in 2018, has signed to direct Saudi-set coming-of-age tale Hajjan (previously titled Sea Of Sands).
The feature is a joint production between Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, known as Ithra, and Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy, whose recent credits include Feathers, Amira and Souad. Ithra’s head of performing arts and cinema Majed Z. Samman also takes a producer credit.
The film revolves around the relationship between a...
- 5/20/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Saudi Arabia’s Ithra Film Productions banner has teamed up with prominent Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy (“Clash”) who will serve as a creative consultant on two upcoming projects by Saudi directors backed by the company, one of which Hefzy will produce through his Film Clinic shingle.
The two projects which were unveiled in Cannes by Ithra Film — which is a unit of The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, financed by Saudi Aramco Oil Company to promote cultural development — are “Valley Road,” a drama by emerging Saudi helmer Khalid Fahad about an autistic young man who gets lost on his way to see a doctor and the ensuing challenges, and “Sea of Sands,” a coming-of-age story centered around a young orphan Bedouin and a camel who form a special bond and embark on a journey across Saudi Arabia. Hefzy (pictured), who besides being a producer also heads the Cairo Film Festival,...
The two projects which were unveiled in Cannes by Ithra Film — which is a unit of The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, financed by Saudi Aramco Oil Company to promote cultural development — are “Valley Road,” a drama by emerging Saudi helmer Khalid Fahad about an autistic young man who gets lost on his way to see a doctor and the ensuing challenges, and “Sea of Sands,” a coming-of-age story centered around a young orphan Bedouin and a camel who form a special bond and embark on a journey across Saudi Arabia. Hefzy (pictured), who besides being a producer also heads the Cairo Film Festival,...
- 7/11/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Ithra, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, revealed two new film productions this morning here in Cannes.
Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy – whose films include 2016 Cannes Un Certain Regard opener Clash, 2018 Cannes Competition title Yomeddine, and 2020 Sundance pic Luxor – is teaming with Ithra on Sea of Sands (working title), a coming-of-age story centered around a young orphan Bedouin and a camel who form a special bond and embark on a journey across Saudi Arabia.
“Ithra has played a significant role in supporting independent filmmakers from Saudi Arabia at a critical time just as the Kingdom’s booming film industry begins to take shape,” said Hefzy. “I am thrilled to work with them and all the Saudi and Arab talent who will be joining this exciting project.” The film is set to be filmed in various locations around Saudi Arabia.
Ithra is also producing Saudi filmmaker Khalid Fahad’s Valley Road.
Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy – whose films include 2016 Cannes Un Certain Regard opener Clash, 2018 Cannes Competition title Yomeddine, and 2020 Sundance pic Luxor – is teaming with Ithra on Sea of Sands (working title), a coming-of-age story centered around a young orphan Bedouin and a camel who form a special bond and embark on a journey across Saudi Arabia.
“Ithra has played a significant role in supporting independent filmmakers from Saudi Arabia at a critical time just as the Kingdom’s booming film industry begins to take shape,” said Hefzy. “I am thrilled to work with them and all the Saudi and Arab talent who will be joining this exciting project.” The film is set to be filmed in various locations around Saudi Arabia.
Ithra is also producing Saudi filmmaker Khalid Fahad’s Valley Road.
- 7/11/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
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