The cinema of Saudi Arabia is a fairly small industry that only produces a few feature films and documentaries every year. Theaters were closed after religious activism in the 1980s. With the exception of one IMAX theater in Khobar, there were no cinemas in Saudi Arabia from 1983 to 2018,[1] although there was occasional talk of opening movie theaters, and in 2008 conference rooms were rented to show the Saudi comedy film Mennahi.[2] Saudis wishing to watch films have done so via satellite, DVD, or video. Cinemas were banned for 35 years[3] until the first cinema in Saudi Arabia opened on 18 April 2018 in Riyadh.
Before cinemas were allowed to operate in Saudi Arabia, there were several attempts to introduce cinema in the country, beginning in the 1930s by Aramco employees. These attempts continued in the 1950s, 1970s, and throughout the first decade of the second millennium. In December 2017, the Board of Directors of the General Commission for Audiovisual Media in Saudi Arabia agreed to issue licenses to those wishing to open cinemas in the Kingdom.[4]
The government hopes that by 2030, Saudi Arabia will have more than 300 theaters with over 2,000 movie screens.[5] The Commission has announced that the “Launch the Cinema Sector in the Kingdom” initiative, which is one of the Quality-of-Life Program initiatives under Vision 2030 programs, has successfully achieved its target of increasing the number of cinemas in Saudi Arabia to 53 in 2021.[6]
Cinema of Saudi Arabia, whether locally-produced or foreign-sourced, is subject to Saudi censorship.
The first Saudi film, titled “Al-Thubab” and starring Hassan Al-Ghanim, was produced in 1950,[7]though Keif al-Hal?, released in 2006, was billed as Saudi Arabia's first film. It was shot in the United Arab Emirates and the lead female was played by a Jordanian. The film Shadows of Silence was released in the same year, directed by Abdullah Al-Muhaisen.[8]
Cinemas first started to appear in Saudi Arabia during the 1930s, when employees of Aramco (then called the Arabian American Oil Company) installed screens in their residential compounds in Dhahran. In the early 1950s, ahwash (courtyard) cinemas emerged in several Saudi cities, which were screenings held in open spaces in residential areas. Each of these courtyard cinemas came to be known by the names of their owners.[12] In the 1970s, a number of Saudi athletic clubs contained movie, and they were not considered un-Islamic, though they were seen as contrary to Arab cultural norms. In the 1980s, there were some improvised movie halls in Saudi Arabia, most of which were in Jeddah and Mecca, where Egyptian, Indian, and Turkish films were screened without government intervention. All theaters were closed due to the growing objections of religious conservatives during the Islamic revival movement in the 1980s. As a political response to an increase in Islamist activism, including the 1979 seizure of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, the government closed all cinemas and theaters.[13]
During the cinema ban, the only public theater in Saudi Arabia was a single IMAX cinema located in Khobar at the Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Science and Technology Center.[14] The IMAX cinema, in operation since 2005,[15] shows only educational films. The documentaries are mostly productions from the United States shown in Arabic, with English audio headphones available.
In November 2005, a 1,400-seat cinema opened at a hotel in Riyadh for a limited run. The cinema was open for women and children only and showed foreign cartoons dubbed in Arabic.[16] Following the public screenings, the cinema ban was put into question as the demand for movie theaters in Saudi Arabia increased.[17]
On 11 December 2017, the Saudi Arabian Minister of Culture and Information announced that public movie theaters would be allowed by 2018.[18] The government hopes that by 2030, Saudi Arabia will already have more than 300 theaters with over 2,000 movie screens.[5] The first public film screening was Black Panther beginning on 18 April 2018 for five days in a 620-seat cinema owned by AMC Theatres in Riyadh's King Abdullah Financial District which was originally intended to be a symphony hall. Avengers: Infinity War began screening in the kingdom on 26 April.[19] In May 2018, it was announced that IMAX had signed a deal with VOX Cinemas to open at least four IMAX venues following the lifting of the cinema ban. At the time, it was also announced that VOX Cinemas intends to open 600 screens throughout Saudi Arabia over the next five years.[15]
Films
Film production
The first Saudi film ever produced was in 1950, starring Hassan Al-Ghanim, who is widely considered to be the first Saudi movie actor. “Al-Thubab” was produced in coordination with a Hollywood production team and filmed in the city of Qatif.[20]
In the mid-1960s, a few films were produced for TV by Saudi Television. However, the true beginning of Saudi cinematic production wasn’t until 1966, when director Saad Al Furaih created "Remorse", tarring Saudi actor Hassan Dardir.[21]
Over a decade later, in 1975, Saudi director Abdullah Al-Muhaisen created a film about the development of the city of Riyadh, and the film was shown at the Cairo International Film Festival the following year. In 1977, Al-Muhaisen would go on to direct a critically acclaimed film called “Death of a City,” which was a dramatization of the Lebanese Civil War that depicted the devastating damage the conflict had on the beautiful city of Beirut.[22]
Video rental stores started appearing in the 1980s and offered Arabic, Western, and Asian movies. By the late 1990s, the increasing number of free-to-air satellite TV channels led most video stores to close.
Saudi films
A small but growing number of films have been produced in Saudi Arabia with a Saudi cast. Notable Saudi films include:
As part of the “Saudi Film Days” initiative, launched by King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture – Ithra in 2016, the center sponsored the production of 10 winning films (nine short films and one short narrative). 7 of the 10 films (6 narrative and one documentary) were nominated to participate in a major film festival hosted in Los Angeles, USA.
The festival included screenings that were attended by notable critics, stars, and directors from the American film industry. Filmmakers were also able to visit some of the most renowned production houses in Hollywood, such as Warner Bros and Paramount Studios.[27]
The films that participated in the festival were: "Tongue" directed by Mohamed Al-Salman, "Zaina's Cake" by director Nada Al-Mojadedi, "The Other" by director Tawfik Al-Zaidi, "Basta" by director Hind Al-Fahhad, "Bilal: A New Breed of Hero" produced by Ayman Jamal, "Atoor" by director Hussain Al-Mutlaq, "Epouvantail" by director Mohammed Al-Salman, "Is Sumiyati Going to Hell?" by director Meshal Al-Jaser, "Wasati" by director Ali Al-Kalthami, "The Darkness Is A Color" by director Mujtaba Saeed, and "300 KM" by director Mohammed Al-Holayyil, in addition to "Al-Qatt" by director Faisal Al-Otaibi.[28]
Saudi Films on Netflix
In 2020, the world’s leading entertainment streaming platform, Netflix, acquired exclusive rights to 6 Saudi short films produced by Telfaz 11 Studios. The short films were released under the title “Six Windows in the Desert” and included: "Is Sumiyati Going to Hell? " "The Rat," "Curtain," "Wasati," "Predicament in Sight," and "27th of Shaban."[29] Subsequently, further films were released to the platform, including titles such as: “The Tambour of Retribution," "Alkhallat+," "Zero Distance," "Shams Al-Ma'arif," "Barakah Meets Barakah," "Takki," "Route 10" and "Roll'em." Shortly after, 11 more Saudi films were added to Netflix under the title “New Saudi Voices. These films included: "Hallucinated," "Little Bird," "Red Circle," "Covida the 19th," "Alrufea," "The Day I Lost Myself," "Acceptance Land," "Hide and Seek," "Whisper Down the Lane," "The Palm Witch," and "The Jakar."[30]
Recent Screenings at the Toronto Film Festival
Recently, the films "NAGA" by director Meshal Al-Jaser, "Hajjan" by Abu Bakr Shawqi, and "Mandoob" by Ali Al-Kalthami were screened at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival.[31]
Saudi films in Arab and international festivals and awards
Saudi films and filmmakers have won numerous awards in both Arab and international film festivals. The first Saudi film to win an international award was "Death of a City," directed by Saudi filmmaker Abdullah Al-Muhaisen. The film received the Nefertiti Prize for Best Short Film in 1977[32] and was screened at the Cairo Film Festival the same year.
The Saudi film "Sanctity," received international recognition, winning the Golden Aleph at the 2013 Beirut International Film Festival[33] and becoming the first Saudi film to participate in the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival.[34]
In October 2013, the Saudi film "Wadjda" made history as the first Saudi film ever nominated for the Oscars for Best Foreign Film.[35] The film also received three honorary awards at the Venice International Film Festival, marking the first time a Saudi feature film received recognition at this renowned event. Additionally, it was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film award by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
In 2017, the Saudi film "Wasati" won two awards at the Williamsburg International Film Festival in New York: Best Foreign Film and Best Director for Ali Al-Kalthami.[36]
The short Saudi film "Is Sumiyati Going to Hell?" directed by Meshal Al-Jaser and produced by Ithra, won the Best Foreign Film award at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival[36] and was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018, along with eight other Saudi films.
