Saudis have been paving their way into the world of film for a while now and maaan are they doing a great job. We bring you some of the Saudi stars at the 2015 Dubai International Film Festival, DIFF.
Faizah Ambah
Ambah’s movie “Mariam” made a loud buzz at DIFF. Written and directed by her, the Francophone movie tells the story of a young girl who wears the hijab in France despite of its law banning the action at schools.
Maram Taibah
Famous in the writing community of Jeddah, Taibah takes her movie “Munukeer” to the Muhr Gulf short lineup at DIFF. The film tells of a couple back in the 70s who take a trip to Cairo in hopes of salvaging their relationship.
Abdulrahman Khawj
He is a new comer to DIFF with his thought-provoking movie “I am.”
The movie revolves around a student who deconstructs the concept of a human in order to realize what makes up home for a “perfect human.”
Mohammed Al Heilal
He turns a simple means of transportation into a deep and touching story. Al Heilal’s movie, “Motorcylce,” revolves around a middle-aged man’s life that is transformed after a motorbike accident.
Sameer Arif
Arif has been in the TV business for quite a while working on commercials and programs. He moves onto the next level with his movie “Earth’s Heaven.” The movie is a joint effort between Saudi and Bahrain and revolves around a fateful road trip on New Year’s Eve.
Hind Al Fahhad
The Saudi filmmaker and photographer received the jury’s special prize in the Muhr Gulf short category at DIFF for her movie ‘Peddiers’ or ‘Basta’ meaning fun in Hijazi colloquial. The movie depicts the struggles of working women.
Rana Jabrou
Jarbou’s movie project was initially going to be about graffiti, however she was inspired by writings about joyriding and decided to shift her interest. So her movie Hajwalah is about tafheet (joyriding) in Riyadh.
Nada AlMojadedi
The young filmmaker had worked in video production in Saudi Arabia but moved to Los Angeles in 2013 to pursue an MFA in Filmmaking. Her movie “Zaina’s Cake,” shows how one girl seizes the opportunity to change her life through her baking skills.
Shahad Ameen
Not a stranger to DIFF, Ameen’s new film “Scales” was shortlisted for the IWC Filmmaker Award. Scales is a fantasy feature following Hayat, a pre-adolescent teen who wants to fulfill her destiny as a hunted, yet free, mermaid. Her last film Eye and Mermaid was a huge success and also premiered at DIFF last year’ trailer is below.
Ayman Jamal
He is the co-director and producer of the animation movie Bilal that transfers the Arab world onto a whole new level of animation. A well-executed film that is fun for everyone despite their ages, Bilal recounts the courageous tale of the Prophet’s mu’athen.
