Come see these amazing Saudi films at the on October 20th at 8:05pm New Parkway Theatre in Oakland. There will be a Q&A with actor/writer Hakeem Jomah and executive producer Sultan Faisal of Madayen, to follow! Buy your tickets here.

We are proud to present three films from Saudi Arabia as part of our 21st edition’s official selection. These films represent the best of Saudi filmmaking, reflecting the creativity, culture, and humor of the Saudi people, and most notably the filmmakers’ penchant for crafting boundary-pushing work. AFF is looking forward to bringing these films to American audiences who are intrigued yet often misinformed by the media about Saudi life and values. These filmmakers represent the future of Saudi film and offer a look at its independent film scene American audiences would otherwise not be privy to. This program will move through varied tones, including observational documentary, comedy/satire, and ghost story horror; ranging from the buzzing streets of Qatif City and a comedy of errors in Riyadh, to the majestic, albeit spooky, Madayen ruins.

Yellow
2016/ 15 minutes
Documentary Short

Director: Mohammed Salman
Writer: Mohammed Salman
Producer: Mohammed Salman

Yellow tells the stories of the drivers of the distinctive old yellow taxis in Qatif City, who struggle to compete with taxi drivers who have more “modern” vehicles.

Wasati
2017/ 33 minutes
Narrative Short

Director: Ali Kalthami
Writers: Ali Kalthami, Nawaf Al Shobaili
Producer: Ibrahim Missie

Based on true events that happened during a theatre play in Riyadh 10 years ago. The play was titled “Wasati bela Wastiah” or “A Moderate Without a Middle-Ground.” During the performance, a group of extremists attacked the performers and the play was shut down. The story shook Saudi Arabian society and was all over the news. Wasati addresses this event and retells it from a different point of view.

Wasati film Trailer – فيلم وسطي from Ali Kalthami on Vimeo.

Madayen
2016/ 66 minutes
Narrative Feature

Director: Ayman Tamano
Writer: Hakeem Jomah
Producers: Hakeem Jomah, Sultan Faisal

With a tongue-in-cheek homage to The Blair Witch Project, Jeddah-based filmmaker Ayman Tamano’s found footage “mock-doc” psychological horror ghost story is nevertheless a fright for sore eyes. Set in the notoriously cursed, djinn-infested Madayen Saleh ruins in the north western sector of the Kingdom – a location that has likewise been deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site – Madayen holds its own as a chilling, buddy movie gone wrong campfire creepfest that never hesitates to pause, from time to time, and poke fun at itself, much less the genres it so fluently draws from.