Visitors to the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale can enjoy captivating cinematic experiences from a curated series of local and international films, every Thursday from March 7th to May 23rd, 2024.
The Red Sea Film Foundation has announced its partnership with the Diriyah Biennale Foundation to launch the “Cinema Nights” series, scheduled to be held on the sidelines of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2024 in the JAX District in Diriyah, from March 7th to May 23rd, 2024.
This exceptional partnership between two of the Kingdom’s foremost cultural institutions aims to enrich the cinematic and cultural landscape by providing a platform for dialogue through a series of exclusive screenings of local and international films and discussions with filmmakers, offering a unique opportunity for art and culture enthusiasts to dive into captivating narrative worlds and explore unique cinematic horizons.
The “Cinema Nights” programme will present a selected series of exclusive film screenings, including the Saudi film “Hajjan,” by director Abu Bakr Shawky, which tells the story of a boy named Omar and his relationship with his camel “Haffara” who develops over the days, highlighting a collection of intricately designed scenes against the backdrop of Saudi Arabia’s expansive deserts, and starring a constellation of stars, Azzam Namr, Abdulmohsen Alnemer, and rising talent Omar Atawi, Additionally, visitors can watch the anticipated Saudi film “Noura” by Saudi director and writer Tawfiq Al-Zaidi, starring Saudi star Yaqoub Alfarhan, and the esteemed Abdullah Al-Sadhan in his first big-screen appearance.
The event will also host a series of international cinematic screenings, including the Japanese film “Evil Does Not Exist” and “Behind the Mountains” by Tunisian director Mohamed Ben Attia, along with many international and local short films.
Mohammed Al Turki, CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation, stated, “We are proud of this partnership with the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, which reflects our dedication at the Red Sea Film Foundation to enriching the cultural and cinematic scene in the Kingdom. It also highlights our continuous commitment to fostering partnerships with cultural entities that align with our shared objectives. He added, “Cinema Nights is not just a cinematic event, but also a cultural platform that celebrates storytelling and creativity and enhances the cultural exchange between peoples.”
Aya Al-Bakree, CEO of the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, said: “We are excited to partner with the Red Sea Film Foundation to offer a rich cinematic experience to our visitors. We strongly believe in the role that film plays in highlighting unique stories and igniting new dialogue between different cultures and generations. Through our second edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale we aim to create a thought-provoking, immersive, and multi-sensory cultural journey for visitors of all ages and backgrounds, and we believe our collaboration with the Red Sea Film Foundation is an important step in achieving that goal.”
The programme offers a curated selection of ten feature films every Thursday from March 7th, 2024, to May 23rd, 2024. Furthermore, local and international short films will be showcased on May 10 and 11, at the Diriyah Biennale Foundation in Riyadh, providing visitors with an immersive cinematic experience using the latest sound and image technologies, Arabic and English subtitles are available for all the scheduled film screenings.
This partnership between the Red Sea Film Foundation and the Diriyah Biennale Foundation reflects a shared commitment to enhancing the cultural and cinematic landscape in the Kingdom, and to fostering artistic and creative expression through platforms that attract promising artistic and cinematic talents.
More information about tickets and showtimes is available here.
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