Saudi Arabia Launches First Cinema Guild & ‘The Return Of The Prodigal Son’ Wins Top Red Sea Souk Project Award – Red Sea Briefs

Saudi Arabia Launches First Cinema Guild Six Year After Lifting Of Ban

Saudi Arabia has launched its first official film industry guild six years after the lifting of its 35-year cinema ban in 2017. The initiative overseen by Minister of Culture, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al-Saud, was announced during the Red Sea International Film Festival. “Having a professional association is fundamental for the development of the sector,” inaugural board member and director Hana Al Omair told a conference discussing the objectives of the new body.  She said the association’s key role would be to establish legislation for the sector as well as labor rights for cinema professionals. Al Omair was joined in the discussion by the association’s president, the artist and producer Mishal Al Mutairi; veteran acting star Abdulmohsen Al-Nimr; director Tawfik Alzaidi, whose first feature Norah world premiered at the festival on Tuesday evening as well as Alaa Faden, CEO of growing content company Telfaz11 and Abdulaziz Al Muzaini, a board member and founding partner of the Myrkott and Sirb production companies.

‘The Return Of The Prodigal Son’ Wins Red Sea Souk Prize

Rani Massalha’s drama The Return Of The Prodigal Son has won the top $100,000 Production Award at the Red Sea Souk project market. Taking place within the Red Sea Film Festival, the Red Sea Souk showcased 12 in-development projects and another six works-in-progress by Saudi, Arab and African filmmakers. The Return Of The Prodigal Son revolves around an Egyptian Copt pig farmer whose livelihood is destroyed when outbreak of swine flu prompts the government to order the slaughter of all pigs in the country. Producers are Tunisia’s Habib Attia at Cinetelefilms and Marie Legrand, co-head with Massalha of Paris-based Les Films Du Tambour. In other awards, Egyptian director Sameh Alaa won the second $35,000 Development Awar for When I Close My Eyes, I See Your Eyes. The second $25,000 Jury Special Mention Award went to Love Conquers All by Danielle Arbid. For the Works in Progress section, Ameer Fakher Eldin’s Yunan won the $30,000 Post-Production Award, while the $10,000 Jury Special Mention Award went to Hugo Salvaterra for My Semba.  The project jury consisted of Telfaz11 exec Wael Abumansour; producers Jean Bréhat, Lamia Chraibi and Oumar Sall as well as director Jasmila Žbanić. The Work in Progress jury was made-up of Gaia Furrer, artistic director at Venice paraIlel section Giornate degli Autori as well as directors Haider Rashid and Wanuri Kahiu.