September 28, 2022

11 Must-Watch Films By Emerging Saudi Filmmakers are Now Part of a Special Netflix Collection

A still from Little Bird. Photo: Courtesy of Netflix

Emerging Saudi Arabian filmmakers will be spotlighted on Netflix as the streaming giant launches a specially curated collection of 11 short films titled ‘New Saudi Voices’ on September 29.

The rich versatility of the Kindom’s creatives will be celebrated via the collection spanning various genres including horror, fantasy, family adventure, animation, sci-fi, and non-fiction. Titles featured are Mohamed Basalamah’s Hallucinated which follows a deliveryman who suffers from insomnia and worsens until his reality and hallucinations become indistinguishable, The Day I Lost Myself by Rami Alzayer which explores how a young man with anxiety finds himself stuck in an elevator on his way to an interview, among others. Documentaries that are part of the collection include Arufea by Abbas Alshuwayfie, Covida the 19th by Omar Al Omirat, alongside short films such as Whisper down the lane by Raghad Albarqi, The Jakar by Abdulaziz Saleh, The Palm Witch by Hala Alhaid, Hide and Seek by Mohammad Helal, Red Circle by Abdulaziz Sarhan, and Little Bird by Khalid Fahad.

These 11 films were also a part of New Saudi/New Cinema Shorts that were screened at the Kingdom’s inaugural Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah last year. The collection will offer viewers to discover emerging and promising Saudi film talent through stories that cover decades, from the 1960s, to modern day, and even an imaginative version of the 2090s.

“We’re very excited to amplify the voices of up-and-coming filmmakers in Saudi Arabia through this collection,” said Nuha el Tayeb, director of content acquisitions, Netflix, MENA, and Turkey. “There’s incredible talent in the Kingdom, and they have unique stories to tell. We hope that as people tune into the films, they learn more about these creators, and catch a glimpse of their passion, originality, and creativity, as we have.”

Read Next: The Red Sea International Film Festival Honored the Women Shaping Arab Cinema in Venice

Exit mobile version