PRONEWS
Vox Cinemas announces plans to produce 25 Arabic films in five years Vox Cinemas has announced a plan to boost regional film production and develop 25 Arabic films in the next five years. The announcement was made at the inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, where Vox Cinemas is the exclusive cinema partner. This new commitment to boost homegrown film production is aligned with Saudi Arabia Film Commission’s recently launched strategy to develop the Kingdom’s burgeoning cinema sector. As part of the initiative, Vox Cinemas will continue to support the next generation of homegrown content developers and provide resources for emerging filmmakers to bring their scripts to screen.
Ignace Lahoud, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Leisure, Entertainment & Cinemas.
Vox Cinemas previously provided mentorship to Saudi production company Myrkott, which was instrumental to the box office success of its animated feature film Masameer both locally and regionally.
Ignace Lahoud, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Leisure, Entertainment & Cinemas, said: “We are proud to continue doing our part to invest in the prosperous future of the Kingdom. Cinemas and content production offer tremendous potential for regional economic growth, particularly in Saudi Arabia’s up and coming film industry, which we believe will significantly contribute to Vision 2030. Majid Al Futtaim is aligned with Saudi Film Commission’s plans to develop a burgeoning cinema sector, as attested by our expanding footprint and today’s commitment to produce a slate of 25 Arabic films in the next five years.” “Film has the power not
only to entertain, but to transcend boundaries and advance cultural dialogue. The Middle East has a long history steeped in storytelling and a wealth of emerging talent that has been gaining international prominence in recent years. Given its theme of ‘Metamorphosis’, the inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival is the ideal platform to announce our ambitious plan to illuminate the untold and compelling stories from our region on the big screen. As a long-standing supporter of the regional cinema sector, we will continue to champion emerging talent, amplify creative voices and provide audiences with a window into the rich culture of the Arab world.”
Saudi production house acquires indie film company Last Scene Films Saudi entertainment group Telfaz11 has acquired Riyadh-based independent production house Last Scene Films in a deal scaling up its move into feature film production. Founded in 2017 by Mohammed Alhamoud, Last Scene Films has produced the short films Silah and Ertidad, which both travelled to international festivals, while its debut feature Last Visit (2019), directed by Abdulmohsen Aldhabaan, became the first Arab
film selected at the East of the West Competition in the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, and won the Jury Award at the 2019 Marrakech International Film Festival. Wael Abumansour joined the company as an executive producer in 2020 and has been developing a wide range of genre-focused films, including Four Acts of Disruption, which won development funding from the Red Sea International Film Festival.
Alhamoud and Abumansour will now join the fold at Telfaz11, reporting to CEO Alaa Fadan. They will continue to oversee the dayto-day of Last Scene Films’ development and production slate, which will now scale up, as well as run Telfaz11’s film festival strategy. Fadan said: “It has always been part of our mission to be catalysts to the local creative culture while being at the forefront of producing new
and fresh Saudi content with massive local appeal and relevance to local culture. With our current strategy to expand and focus our offering in the film and premium content space, we believe that the Last Scene transaction will support us in accelerating our mission and creating long-term value for the company and its shareholders.” Telfaz11 previously struck a deal with Netflix to develop and produce eight films for the service.
January 2022 | www.broadcastprome.com | 5
