Exclusive: Paris-based Nour Films has acquired French rights to Saudi director Tawfik Alzaidi’s first feature Norah ahead of its world premiere in the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard.
The film will make history as the first ever Saudi feature to play in Cannes’ Official Selection just six years after Saudi Arabia announced the end of its 35-year cinema ban.
“Norah is an elegant film that combines age-old traditions with a desire for emancipation. This emancipation is achieved through art, learning and a desire greater than oneself. Tawfik Akzaidi has beautifully crafted a film that is both powerful and delicate,” said Nour Films’s co-founding director Patrick Sibourd.
The deal was brokered by Sebastien Chesneau under his Cercamon banner which clinched the international sales mandate for the film last week.
Cercamon and Nour previously collaborated on Vietnamese drama Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell which premiered in Directors’ Fortnight...
The film will make history as the first ever Saudi feature to play in Cannes’ Official Selection just six years after Saudi Arabia announced the end of its 35-year cinema ban.
“Norah is an elegant film that combines age-old traditions with a desire for emancipation. This emancipation is achieved through art, learning and a desire greater than oneself. Tawfik Akzaidi has beautifully crafted a film that is both powerful and delicate,” said Nour Films’s co-founding director Patrick Sibourd.
The deal was brokered by Sebastien Chesneau under his Cercamon banner which clinched the international sales mandate for the film last week.
Cercamon and Nour previously collaborated on Vietnamese drama Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell which premiered in Directors’ Fortnight...
- 5/13/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Cercamon has acquired international sales rights for Saudi director Tawfik Alzaidi’s first feature Norah ahead of its world premiere in the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard.
Norah will make history in May as the first ever Saudi feature to play in Cannes’ Official Selection. The achievement comes six years after Saudi Arabia announced the end of its 35-year cinema ban and is a sign of the bubbling cinema scene that has sprung up since.
Set in Saudi Arabia in the 1990s when artistic expression was banned, the feature follows rookie teacher and clandestine artist Nader, who is sent to a remote village for his first post where he connects with a young woman, whose life has been stifled by the era of conservatism.
She ignites the creativity inside him and inspires him to paint again. At great risk, they develop a delicate connection and a quiet bond.
Norah will make history in May as the first ever Saudi feature to play in Cannes’ Official Selection. The achievement comes six years after Saudi Arabia announced the end of its 35-year cinema ban and is a sign of the bubbling cinema scene that has sprung up since.
Set in Saudi Arabia in the 1990s when artistic expression was banned, the feature follows rookie teacher and clandestine artist Nader, who is sent to a remote village for his first post where he connects with a young woman, whose life has been stifled by the era of conservatism.
She ignites the creativity inside him and inspires him to paint again. At great risk, they develop a delicate connection and a quiet bond.
- 5/3/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 17 April 2024 – The Cannes Film Festival announced that the Saudi film “Norah,” supported by the Saudi Film Commission through its ‘Daou’ initiative, has been selected as part of the festival’s Official Selection in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ section. The festival will take place in Cannes, France, from May 14 to 25.
Written and directed by Tawfiq Al-Zaidi, the feature film “Norah” clinched the top prize of a funding award from the Saudi Film Commission’s Daou Film Competition, an initiative launched by the Kingdom’s Ministry of Culture in September 2019 to bolster Saudi film production and nurture the next generation of filmmakers. The film also garnered support from the Quality of Life program, one of the Kingdom’s Vision 2023 initiatives, Film AlUla, Generation 2030, and the Red Sea Film Festival, where it premiered in December 2023.
Set in a remote village in Saudi Arabia during the 1990s and filmed in AlUla,...
Written and directed by Tawfiq Al-Zaidi, the feature film “Norah” clinched the top prize of a funding award from the Saudi Film Commission’s Daou Film Competition, an initiative launched by the Kingdom’s Ministry of Culture in September 2019 to bolster Saudi film production and nurture the next generation of filmmakers. The film also garnered support from the Quality of Life program, one of the Kingdom’s Vision 2023 initiatives, Film AlUla, Generation 2030, and the Red Sea Film Festival, where it premiered in December 2023.
Set in a remote village in Saudi Arabia during the 1990s and filmed in AlUla,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Movies MCM
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
he Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea Iff) marked the closing of its third edition with a screening of Micheal Mann's Ferrari, a Red Sea International Film Financing project, and revealed the winners of its highly anticipated Yusr Awards. The festival also welcomed Hollywood icon Nicolas Cage, receiving a Red Sea Honoree award, and joining the 2023 Honoree line-up of Diane Kruger, Ranveer Singh, and Abdullah Al-Sadhan. Kristoffer Borgli's comedy horror Dream Scenario, starring Nicolas Cage, will screen as the Final Festival Gala on Saturday 9th December.
Two juries deliberated to finally select winners across 14 categories; led by Jury President Baz Luhrmann. Seventeen films in competition, as well as 23 shorts, were in the running for the coveted awards.
The festival this year celebrated its biggest year yet in terms of attendance – welcoming almost 6,000 accredited guests and selling more than 40,000 tickets across all screenings and In Conversations.
The Closing Ceremony...
Two juries deliberated to finally select winners across 14 categories; led by Jury President Baz Luhrmann. Seventeen films in competition, as well as 23 shorts, were in the running for the coveted awards.
The festival this year celebrated its biggest year yet in terms of attendance – welcoming almost 6,000 accredited guests and selling more than 40,000 tickets across all screenings and In Conversations.
The Closing Ceremony...
- 12/8/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Oscar winner Nicholas Cage received a Red Sea Honouree award
Zarrar Kahn’s Karachi-set thriller In Flames won the $100,000 Golden Yusr award for best feature film at the 2023 Red Sea International Film Festival, which announced its winners on Thursday evening (December 7).
A Canada-Pakistan co-production and Pakistan’s entry to the Oscars, In Flames is the story of a mother and daughter trying to survive after losing the family patriarch. It world premiered in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight.
Indian production Dear Jassi, directed by Tarsem Singh, won the $30,000 Silver Yusr. Based on the true story of an Indian couple who fell foul of the class system,...
Zarrar Kahn’s Karachi-set thriller In Flames won the $100,000 Golden Yusr award for best feature film at the 2023 Red Sea International Film Festival, which announced its winners on Thursday evening (December 7).
A Canada-Pakistan co-production and Pakistan’s entry to the Oscars, In Flames is the story of a mother and daughter trying to survive after losing the family patriarch. It world premiered in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight.
Indian production Dear Jassi, directed by Tarsem Singh, won the $30,000 Silver Yusr. Based on the true story of an Indian couple who fell foul of the class system,...
- 12/8/2023
- by Mona Sheded
- ScreenDaily
The third annual Red Sea Film Festival handed out its Yusr Awards on Thursday night, with Zarrar Kahn’s In Flames taking Best Feature and Farah Nabulsi’s The Teacher scoring a pair of wins including Best Actor for Saleh Bakri. See the full list below.
Elvis director and two-time Oscar nominee Baz Luhrmann headed the Rea Sea jury, which handed out awards in 17 categories.
The Saudi Arabian fest also gave a Red Sea Honorary Award to Nicolas Cage. The Oscar winner, whose Dream Scenario will close the festival on December 9, joined fellow 2023 honorees Diane Kruger, Ranveer Singh and Abdullah Al-Sadhan.
“Over the past eight days, we have welcomed the world to Jeddah and celebrated this vibrant global film community together – with a goal of bridging cultures and creating new ties,” said Jomana Al-Rashid, Chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation. “We’ve done that with over 125 films from Saudi Arabia,...
Elvis director and two-time Oscar nominee Baz Luhrmann headed the Rea Sea jury, which handed out awards in 17 categories.
The Saudi Arabian fest also gave a Red Sea Honorary Award to Nicolas Cage. The Oscar winner, whose Dream Scenario will close the festival on December 9, joined fellow 2023 honorees Diane Kruger, Ranveer Singh and Abdullah Al-Sadhan.
“Over the past eight days, we have welcomed the world to Jeddah and celebrated this vibrant global film community together – with a goal of bridging cultures and creating new ties,” said Jomana Al-Rashid, Chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation. “We’ve done that with over 125 films from Saudi Arabia,...
- 12/7/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Will Smith, Johnny Depp, Sharon Stone among international guests in attendance.
The third edition of Red Sea International Film Festival opened on Thursday, November 30 with a ceremony that added local interests and humour to the standard festival event template.
Stars including Will Smith, Johnny Depp, Sharon Stone, Michelle Williams, Sofia Vergara, Diane Kruger and Ranveer Singh were in attendance at the 1,000-seat Grand Ballroom in the Ritz-Carlton Jeddah, for a one-hour ceremony prior to the world premiere of Yasir Alyasiri’s Saudi fantasy romance Hwjn. Screen’s review described the film as ”an entertaining, swashbuckling fantasy epic.”
Smith took his...
The third edition of Red Sea International Film Festival opened on Thursday, November 30 with a ceremony that added local interests and humour to the standard festival event template.
Stars including Will Smith, Johnny Depp, Sharon Stone, Michelle Williams, Sofia Vergara, Diane Kruger and Ranveer Singh were in attendance at the 1,000-seat Grand Ballroom in the Ritz-Carlton Jeddah, for a one-hour ceremony prior to the world premiere of Yasir Alyasiri’s Saudi fantasy romance Hwjn. Screen’s review described the film as ”an entertaining, swashbuckling fantasy epic.”
Smith took his...
- 12/1/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival kicked off its third edition on Thursday with the world premiere of Dubai-based Iraqi director Yasir Al-Yasiri’s fantasy “Hwjn” and a glitzy red carpet featuring Will Smith, Sharon Stone, Baz Luhrmann, Ranveer Singh and a slew of Arabic stars.
Johnny Depp also posed on the red carpet and attended the opening gala, but kept a lower profile.
Depp is at the festival with Maïwenn’s Cannes-opener “Jeanne du Barry,” which was funded by the Red Sea Film Foundation. Maïwenn also made the trek to Jeddah. Depp’s relationship with the foundation now continues with his directorial effort “Modi,” a biopic about Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani also backed by the fund. The actor is scheduled to deliver an onstage conversation in the coming days.
The Israel-Hamas war that has caused cancellations of several movie celebrations across the Arab world has...
Johnny Depp also posed on the red carpet and attended the opening gala, but kept a lower profile.
Depp is at the festival with Maïwenn’s Cannes-opener “Jeanne du Barry,” which was funded by the Red Sea Film Foundation. Maïwenn also made the trek to Jeddah. Depp’s relationship with the foundation now continues with his directorial effort “Modi,” a biopic about Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani also backed by the fund. The actor is scheduled to deliver an onstage conversation in the coming days.
The Israel-Hamas war that has caused cancellations of several movie celebrations across the Arab world has...
- 11/30/2023
- by Rafa Sales Ross and Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Will Smith and Johnny Depp brought some A-list firepower to the opening night of the third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia.
Smith was mobbed by selfie hunters as he entered the vast and glitzy Ritz Carlton hotel in the city of Jeddah on Thursday night, dutifully posing for as many as he could (Depp chose to arrive later to less fanfare).
Baz Luhrmann, who heads the festival jury, also caused a stir on the red carpet, while other notable guests included Sharon Stone, making her second appearance at the fest after attending in 2022; Diane Kruger; Sofia Vergara; Bollywood star Ranveer Singh; Ed Westwick; and many local Saudi names.
Iraqi director Yasir Al Yasiri’s Hwjn, a jinn fantasy romance set in modern-day Jeddah, opened the festival, becoming the first local Saudi Arabian movie to be given the honor of raising the curtain.
Hwjn is...
Smith was mobbed by selfie hunters as he entered the vast and glitzy Ritz Carlton hotel in the city of Jeddah on Thursday night, dutifully posing for as many as he could (Depp chose to arrive later to less fanfare).
Baz Luhrmann, who heads the festival jury, also caused a stir on the red carpet, while other notable guests included Sharon Stone, making her second appearance at the fest after attending in 2022; Diane Kruger; Sofia Vergara; Bollywood star Ranveer Singh; Ed Westwick; and many local Saudi names.
Iraqi director Yasir Al Yasiri’s Hwjn, a jinn fantasy romance set in modern-day Jeddah, opened the festival, becoming the first local Saudi Arabian movie to be given the honor of raising the curtain.
Hwjn is...
- 11/30/2023
- by Georg Szalai and Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Baz Luhrmann will preside over the jury for the third edition of the festival
The Red Sea International Film Festival has revealed a starry line-up of juries and honorary awardees ahead of the launch of its third edition in Jeddah on Thursday.
The jury for the main feature film competition will comprise Suicide Squad star Joel Kinnaman, Bafta-nominated actor Freida Pinto, Egyptian Grand Hotel star Amina Khalil, and Spanish actor Paz Vega, known for Sex And Lucía and The Oa. As previously announced, Elvis director Baz Luhrmann will preside over the jury.
The festival in Saudi Arabia, which is set...
The Red Sea International Film Festival has revealed a starry line-up of juries and honorary awardees ahead of the launch of its third edition in Jeddah on Thursday.
The jury for the main feature film competition will comprise Suicide Squad star Joel Kinnaman, Bafta-nominated actor Freida Pinto, Egyptian Grand Hotel star Amina Khalil, and Spanish actor Paz Vega, known for Sex And Lucía and The Oa. As previously announced, Elvis director Baz Luhrmann will preside over the jury.
The festival in Saudi Arabia, which is set...
- 11/27/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Diane Kruger, Indian actor Ranveer Singh, Joel Kinnaman, Freida Pinto and Paz Vega are set to add star power to the third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire, Knight of Cups), Vega (Sex and Lucía, The Oa), Kinnaman (Silent Night, For All Mankind, Suicide Squad) and Egypt’s Amina Khalil (Grand Hotel, Eugenie Nights) are joining the event’s main feature competition jury, which will be led by Baz Luhrmann.
The Red Sea: Shorts competition will be judged by jurors Hana Alomair, a Saudi writer, filmmaker and film critic behind Netflix series Whispers; French-Moroccan actor Assaad Bouab (Call My Agent, Whatever Lola Wants); and Turkish-German director, screenwriter and producer Fatih Akin (Head-On, In the Fade).
Organizers on Monday also unveiled that Singh, Kruger and Saudi actor and writer Abdullah Al-Sadhan will be honored at the fest.
“This year we are honoring Ranveer Singh,...
Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire, Knight of Cups), Vega (Sex and Lucía, The Oa), Kinnaman (Silent Night, For All Mankind, Suicide Squad) and Egypt’s Amina Khalil (Grand Hotel, Eugenie Nights) are joining the event’s main feature competition jury, which will be led by Baz Luhrmann.
The Red Sea: Shorts competition will be judged by jurors Hana Alomair, a Saudi writer, filmmaker and film critic behind Netflix series Whispers; French-Moroccan actor Assaad Bouab (Call My Agent, Whatever Lola Wants); and Turkish-German director, screenwriter and producer Fatih Akin (Head-On, In the Fade).
Organizers on Monday also unveiled that Singh, Kruger and Saudi actor and writer Abdullah Al-Sadhan will be honored at the fest.
“This year we are honoring Ranveer Singh,...
- 11/27/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Diane Kruger, Bollywood star Ranveer Singh and Saudi actor-writer Abdullah Al-Sadhan are set to receive career honors at Saudi Arabia’s upcoming Red Sea International Film Festival, which has also announced its full jury roster.
Joining Baz Luhrmann, who is presiding over the main Red Sea jury, are Swedish-American actor Joel Kinnaman (“Suicide Squad”); Freida Pinto (“Slumdog Millionaire”); Egyptian actor Amina Khalil; (“Grand Hotel”) and Spain’s Paz Vega.
Meanwhile, Turkish-German director Fatih Akin, who directed Kruger in “In The Fade,” will be on the fest’s shorts competition jury alongside Saudi writer and film critic Hana Alomair, who is behind the Netflix Saudi Arabian original “Whispers,” and French-Moroccan actor Assad Bouab (“Call My Agent”).
Dubai-based Iraqi director Yasir Al-Yasiri’s “Hwjn” has been chosen as the opening film of Saudi Arabia’s upcoming Red Sea International Film Festival.
The fest’s third edition is set to kick off Nov.
Joining Baz Luhrmann, who is presiding over the main Red Sea jury, are Swedish-American actor Joel Kinnaman (“Suicide Squad”); Freida Pinto (“Slumdog Millionaire”); Egyptian actor Amina Khalil; (“Grand Hotel”) and Spain’s Paz Vega.
Meanwhile, Turkish-German director Fatih Akin, who directed Kruger in “In The Fade,” will be on the fest’s shorts competition jury alongside Saudi writer and film critic Hana Alomair, who is behind the Netflix Saudi Arabian original “Whispers,” and French-Moroccan actor Assad Bouab (“Call My Agent”).
Dubai-based Iraqi director Yasir Al-Yasiri’s “Hwjn” has been chosen as the opening film of Saudi Arabia’s upcoming Red Sea International Film Festival.
The fest’s third edition is set to kick off Nov.
- 11/27/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival has unveiled the juries and honorees of its third edition which kicks off on Thursday in the port city of Jeddah.
Baz Luhrmann, who was previously announced as the president of the jury for the main feature film competition, will be joined by Swedish-American Suicide Squad and For All Mankind actor Joel Kinnaman, Slumdog Millionaire Bafta nominee actor Freida Pinto, Egyptian Grand Hotel star Amina Khalil and Spanish actor Paz Vega.
The Red Sea: Shorts competition will be judged by leading Saudi writer, director and film critic Hana Alomair, French-Moroccan Call My Agent! star Assad Bouab and award-winning Turkish-German film director, screenwriter and producer Fatih Akin.
“We have a cohort of immense talent in this year’s jury, representing some of the leading creators of cinema from all corners of the world – and we are thrilled to...
Baz Luhrmann, who was previously announced as the president of the jury for the main feature film competition, will be joined by Swedish-American Suicide Squad and For All Mankind actor Joel Kinnaman, Slumdog Millionaire Bafta nominee actor Freida Pinto, Egyptian Grand Hotel star Amina Khalil and Spanish actor Paz Vega.
The Red Sea: Shorts competition will be judged by leading Saudi writer, director and film critic Hana Alomair, French-Moroccan Call My Agent! star Assad Bouab and award-winning Turkish-German film director, screenwriter and producer Fatih Akin.
“We have a cohort of immense talent in this year’s jury, representing some of the leading creators of cinema from all corners of the world – and we are thrilled to...
- 11/27/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
New Riyadh-based acquisition and distribution company TwentyOne Entertainment has announced its launch at upcoming the Red Sea International Film Festival, which is due to unfold in the port city of in Jeddah from November 30 to December 9.
The fledgeling company has appointed long-time Universal Pictures exec Paul Chesney, whose last position there was EVP Global Operations out of L.A., as its CEO.
On its first outing the company will be focusing on international sales for writer-director Tawfik Alzaidi first feature’s Norah, which was announced as a contender in the festival’s main competition on Monday.
Described as a “deeply moving story about the power of art to inspire and change minds”, the movie is set in Saudi Arabia in the 1990s. Rising actor Yaqoub Alfarhan (Rashash) stars as a newly qualified teacher who is posted to a remote village, where he meets Norah, played by newcomer Maria Bahrawi.
Her...
The fledgeling company has appointed long-time Universal Pictures exec Paul Chesney, whose last position there was EVP Global Operations out of L.A., as its CEO.
On its first outing the company will be focusing on international sales for writer-director Tawfik Alzaidi first feature’s Norah, which was announced as a contender in the festival’s main competition on Monday.
Described as a “deeply moving story about the power of art to inspire and change minds”, the movie is set in Saudi Arabia in the 1990s. Rising actor Yaqoub Alfarhan (Rashash) stars as a newly qualified teacher who is posted to a remote village, where he meets Norah, played by newcomer Maria Bahrawi.
Her...
- 11/7/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
TwentyOne Entertainment, a new acquisition and distribution company based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, unveiled its formation on Tuesday, saying it will make its official debut at the upcoming Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah. The Saudi fest, running Nov. 30-Dec. 9, will feature Norah, the first movie on the company’s slate, in its competition lineup, as unveiled on Monday.
“Our goal is to consistently deliver a high-quality cinematic entertainment experience and be an innovative leader in this fast-developing market,” said TwentyOne Entertainment CEO Paul Chesney, who previously held senior management roles at the likes of Universal and Disney, as well as technology start-ups. “We look forward to building strong partnerships throughout the region and around the
world.”
Norah, from Saudi writer-director Tawfik Alzaidi, is set in Saudi Arabia in the 1990s and is the first Saudi feature film to shoot entirely in the country’s AlUla region. Described as...
“Our goal is to consistently deliver a high-quality cinematic entertainment experience and be an innovative leader in this fast-developing market,” said TwentyOne Entertainment CEO Paul Chesney, who previously held senior management roles at the likes of Universal and Disney, as well as technology start-ups. “We look forward to building strong partnerships throughout the region and around the
world.”
Norah, from Saudi writer-director Tawfik Alzaidi, is set in Saudi Arabia in the 1990s and is the first Saudi feature film to shoot entirely in the country’s AlUla region. Described as...
- 11/7/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Rising Saudi Arabian star Yaqoub Alfarhan, who plays the titular role in hit Mbc TV series “Rashash,” is attached to star in “Norah” a groundbreaking drama written and directed by Tawfik Alzaidi that is currently shooting in AlUla the sprawling area of Saudi desert and giant boulders that boasts an ancient city.
Set in 1990s Saudi Arabia, when conservatism was at its height and all forms of art and painting were banned for religion-related reasons, “Norah” sees Alfarhan (pictured) play an artist named Nader who has given up painting and moved to a remote village to be a schoolteacher. There he intersects with the film’s titular “Norah,” an illiterate orphaned young woman who is facing an arranged marriage in which she will be trapped and has a need for self expression. She records her thoughts and memories into an old cassette recorder. This encounter unleashes the protagonist’s passion for art and,...
Set in 1990s Saudi Arabia, when conservatism was at its height and all forms of art and painting were banned for religion-related reasons, “Norah” sees Alfarhan (pictured) play an artist named Nader who has given up painting and moved to a remote village to be a schoolteacher. There he intersects with the film’s titular “Norah,” an illiterate orphaned young woman who is facing an arranged marriage in which she will be trapped and has a need for self expression. She records her thoughts and memories into an old cassette recorder. This encounter unleashes the protagonist’s passion for art and,...
- 6/17/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
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