Winners of the Daw Film Competition— an initiative that aims to develop the Kingdom’s burgeoning film industry—are reportedly at post-production level with the filming stage having recently just ended. According to the Saudi Film Commission, the four features are making good progress and are expected to make their way onto our screens sooner rather than later.
Launched in 2019, the Daw Film Competition was founded with the intention of empowering and pushing rising Saudi talents forward to further develop the Kingdom’s own industry. Sponsored by the Saudi Film Commission, some of the rewards granted to selected projects includes bringing young filmmakers and directors to festivals around the world to introduce them to a highly esteemed and recognized scene they’ll soon hopefully be a part of.
Abdullah Al-Eyaf, CEO of the Saudi Film Commission, said: “We launched the Daw Film Competition to discover new local talent and empower creative storytelling, talent development is of strategic significance to our industry and is central to achieving our goals. The competition aims to share authentic Saudi stories and films with the rest of the world, helping us to create a thriving film industry in Saudi Arabia. We are proud of these four filmmakers, and we look forward to creating more quality productions in the future.”
Here, a quick peek at the prize-winning movies:
‘Raven Song’
Filmed in Riyadh, the comedy follows Nasar, who doesn’t feel supported nor encouraged by his father, as he develops feelings for a stunning colleague who works at the same hotel as him.
‘Derat Ajdadi’
Directed by Danya Alhmrani and produced by Dania Nassif, the documentary depicts the life of six Saudis with disabilities in Jeddah. The documentary follows them for a whole year through their ups and downs.
‘Norah’
Written and directed by Tawfik Alzaidi, this feature is set in 1990s Saudi Arabia and follows an artist through his revival of passion for the world of arts and culture in a time where the field was very limited and constrained in the Kingdom.
‘Within Sand’
For Moe Alatawi’s debut piece, he decided to portray the real-life story of a 23-year-old tobacco trader who was assaulted by criminals in the desert and left to fend for himself with just a dagger
