Saudi cinema figures lead filmmaking masterclass in Jeddah - Assalamu alaikum
Assalamu alaikum - Some well-known Saudi film professionals, including Fatima Al-Banawi and Roula Dakheelallah, are hosting a free filmmaking masterclass at the Alfwad Productions headquarters in Jeddah on Thursday. The workshop is in partnership with the Red Sea International Film Festival as it prepares for its fifth edition from Dec. 4–13 in Jeddah.
Director and actress Fatima Al-Banawi will be joined by Roula Dakheelallah, who earned the Best Actress award at the 25th Rotterdam Arab Film Festival this past summer for her role in the Saudi film My Driver & I.
Also taking part are screenwriter Adham Abdulghani and producer Antoine Khalife, known for work on films such as Capernaum and The Man Who Sold His Skin. Other contributors include writer Waad Janbi, director Rmas Al-Hazmi, and actor Eissa Hafiz, who appeared in Basma directed by Al-Banawi.
A bit about Al-Banawi: she first became widely known for her role in the 2016 drama Barakah Meets Barakah and later appeared in the Egyptian Netflix series Paranormal. In 2020 she made her first short film, Until We See Light, and that year she also co-wrote, co-directed and starred in the Shahid Original series Al-Shak, filmed at home during the COVID lockdown. Her 2024 feature debut Basma premiered on Netflix; she wrote the screenplay, contributed an original song, and played the lead. The film follows a young Saudi woman who returns to Jeddah after studying in the US and faces family changes, including her parents’ divorce and her father’s mental illness.
Roula Dakheelallah became widely recognized in 2024 for her performance in My Driver & I, directed by Ahd Kamel. The film, a coming-of-age story set in 1980s–90s Jeddah, centers on the bond between a headstrong girl, Salma, and her family’s Sudanese driver Gamar, who becomes a mentor and father figure. As Salma grows, tensions arise when Gamar seeks to curb her rebellious streak, believing he is safeguarding her reputation.
This masterclass looks like a great opportunity for local filmmakers and students to learn from experienced Saudi talent.
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