For the second year in a row, the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) is participating in the 75th Cannes Film Festival, which is currently being held, as it is the largest producer of cinematic films in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as it presents two new films produced by Ithraa, in an effort to show talent National Film Festival at this global event.
Ithra’s participation comes within the Saudi pavilion at the festival, which is supervised by the Film Authority, along with a number of governmental and private agencies, such as: the Ministry of Investment, the Red Sea Film Festival, Al-Ula Film, NEOM Company, MBC Group, a group of production and distribution companies and an elite group of talents. promising Saudi Arabia.
Nurturing National Talent
From the director of theater and performing arts at (Ithra) Majid Zuhair Samman, that the center’s second official participation in the Cannes Film Festival; Reflecting the role of actor Ithraa in the growing film industry in the Kingdom, and promoting the creation of pioneering cinematic content. Samman indicated that Ithraa currently has three film projects nearing completion, in addition to continuing to support the Saudi film industry through financing and production initiatives, and to present the local experience to the world through the most important international forums.
Samman added, “Ithraa Center works to nurture national talents and refine cinematic experiences, given that it is considered a leading independent producer in the Kingdom.” The two films will be shown in the Short Films Corner, which is one of the most important distribution platforms for short films at the festival, and they are “Old Phone Number” by director and screenwriter Ali Saeed, and “The Swing” by director Raneem Al Mohandes. Ithraa will also participate in a discussion session on developing Saudi talents, with NEOM and MBC Academy.
Scenes from the movie
Saudi Film Festival
Ithraa is working on the production of two fiction films, the first “Sea of the Sands” by Egyptian screenwriter and producer Mohamed Hefzy and directed by Abu Bakr Shawky, and the second “The Valley Road” by Saudi director Khaled Fahd. Both films are scheduled to be released next year 2023, and Ithra is preparing to host the eighth Saudi Film Festival. Organized by the Cinema Society in partnership with Ithra, and with the support of the Film Commission of the Ministry of Culture, from June 2 to 9, 2002.
It is noteworthy that the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) has produced 20 Saudi films, 15 of which won local and international awards, and a group of them were shown in several international forums, with the support of the Film Authority of the Ministry of Culture, which stands by Ithraa in working to provide Opportunities for creators in the film industry to advance the Saudi film industry, as an important part of the center’s mission, which is keen to enrich cultural and creative content and enhance cinematic mobility in the Kingdom.
