Dammam: The eighth film festival in the history of Saudi cinema has come to an end. ‘Khawarir’ was selected as the best film for the last eight days in the theaters of the King Abdul Aziz World Cultural Center (ITRA) for its in-depth evaluation of the experiences of Saudi women empowerment in films that have captivated thousands of people.
‘Khawarir’ won by combining five different stories. Each of these stories reflected the real life circumcision of a woman or girl living in Saudi Arabia.
The film, which was written and directed by five girls as part of their graduation process, is expected to usher in a new era in Saudi cinema. Women dominated throughout the fair, underlining Saudi women’s empowerment.
The awards for excellence in feature film, acting, cinematography and jury prize went to Ragheed Al-Nahdi, Nora Almowald, Ruba Khafagi, Fatma Al-Hasmi and Noor Alameer. The winners were presented with cash awards and Golden Palm Awards. Other awards include Best Documentary, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay.
Al-Hajjaj, the director of the best documentary film, said that despite the favorable atmosphere, the real winners are those who dare to dream of engaging in filmmaking in the country. He added that the film experience in Itra has given many people hopeful dreams.
Jeddah-based filmmaker Ismail al-Bukhari arrives at the Itra Film Festival with a film shot in New York City during the Kovid era. It took him two years to complete the filming, directing and editing work on his own.
However, he said that after attending the fair, he forgot about the hardships he faced during the crisis.
He said that when he walked the red carpet to get the recognition the film got, he wondered if it was a dream or a reality. “I never thought this would happen in my country in a million years,” he said. Film Festival Director Ahmed Al-Mulla delivered the closing speech. Leading actors Ibrahim Al-Hajjaj and actress Sarah Taiba were the presenters.