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The Golden Palm Film Programme
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Saudi Film Festival, Hayy Cinema is collaborating on the Golden Palm Film Programme, showcasing winning titles from the past decade to highlight local talent and achievements.
The screenings will feature a mix of documentary, animation, and fiction, reflecting the diverse growth of Saudi cinema. Additionally, panel discussions with filmmakers and industry experts will provide insights into the creative process and the evolving landscape of the Saudi film industry.
Day 1: Thursday, November 7
Time: 7pm [to be repeated the following day at 5pm]
1st Collection of Short Films
Total Duration 1h 15m
5 short fiction films
Complaint (2013): The strong and silvery Anoud is sometimes put in a difficult situation after she is forced to spend time with her sick father, towards whom she feels angry because he left her and her family without care in the past.
Director: Hanaa Alomair
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the second edition of the Saudi Film Festival
Atoor (2017): A young man in his twenties who borrows his name. What is going on in Atour’s head?
Director: Hussain Almotlaq
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the fourth edition of the Saudi Film Festival
Red Rose (2017): An “abstract” view of the women’s issue and their suffering in light of societies and their challenges.
Director: Aminah Abu Khomais
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the fourth edition of the Saudi Film Festival
300 KM (2016): A girl on the road traveling with a strange man under the circumstances.
Director: Mohammad Alholayyil
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the fourth edition of the Saudi Film Festival
Egg Rebelled (2021): A person tries to make his usual breakfast in the morning, but a strange egg ruins the day and turns it into a fierce struggle in which the hero tries to break the egg in various ways, but after his failure he discovers a strange surprise.
Director: Sultan Rabea
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the seventh edition of the Saudi Film Festival
Day 2: Friday, November 8
Time: 7pm [to be repeated the following day at 5pm]
2nd Collection of Short Films
Total Duration 1h 20m
1 mid length documentary film & 3 short fiction films
Tongue (2017): A simple farmer reevaluates his position on his emotions and his material and spiritual heritage when he deals with a predicament that may have been told to him from the world beyond.
Director: Mohammad Alsalman
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the fourth edition of the Saudi Film Festival:
Jawwi / My Vibe (2021): When cinema comes to the old neighborhoods of Jeddah, the lives of three teenagers are forever changed in this documentary.
Director: Faiza Ambah
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the eighth edition of the Saudi Film Festival
Zawal (2021): Eight-year-old Adam encounters a mutant world, when he emerges from a quarantine area designated for refugees.
Director: Mujtaba Saeed
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the eighth edition of the Saudi Film Festival:
VHS Tape Replaced (2023): The events of the film take place in 1987 and tell the story of the dark-skinned Saudi young man; Who is trying to attract a girl’s attention, by imitating one of the clips of the famous 80s singer Crown.
Director: Maha Alsaati
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the ninth edition of Saudi Film Festival
Day 3: Saturday, November 9
Time: 7pm [to be repeated the following day at 5pm]
3rd Collection of Short Films
Total Duration 1h 26m
1 mid length fiction film & 3 short fiction films
Yellow (2016): A documentary film that reviews the remaining yellow taxis at the Qatif station and why they did not replace them with modern white cars?
Director: Mohammad Alsaffar
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the third edition of the Saudi Film Festival
Wasati (2016): Wasati is based on true events that happened during a play in Riyadh 10 years ago. The play was called “Wasati bela Wastiah” which roughly translates to “A Moderate Without a Middle-Ground,” where a group of extremists attacked the theater and the play was shut down.
Director: Ali Alkalthami
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the fourth edition the of Saudi Film Festival
Swan Song (2018) : A Saudi actor performs Anton Chekhov’s play “Swan Song” in his own way.
Director: Hanaa Alomair
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the fifth edition of the Saudi Film Festival
Saleh (2024): A teen boy in a rural village in Saudi Arabia takes responsibility for his aging dad. Saleh saves money delivering fruits on his Vespa to buy his dad a satellite dish. A journey that is full of unexpected turns.
Director: Zaki Abdullah
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the tenth edition of the Saudi Film Festival
Day 4: Sunday, November 10
Time: 7pm [one time screening]
4th Collection of Short Films
Total Duration 1h 5m
5 short fiction films
Left Over Bread (2008): The film tells the story of an orphan whose neighbors neglected to help him, and this neglect prompted the orphan to go out at dawn with his mother to search for food leftovers that their neighbors throw away.
Director: Moussa Al-Thenyyan
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the first edition of the Saudi Film Festival
The Bliss Of Being No One (2016): An unexpected meeting of a young man who recently lost his family with a one-eyed elderly man.
Director: Bader Alhamoud
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the fourth edition of the Saudi Film Festival
Mazben (2016): A deceased grandmother’s room reveals hidden sins and treasures.
Director: Abdulrahman Garash
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the fourth edition of the Saudi Film Festival
Saleeg (2023): A lonely grandmother living in a neighborhood full of strangers must confront her stubbornly independent nature when she accidentally causes a pot of boiling rice to overflow, turning into a flood that threatens her home.
Director: Afnan Bawyan
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the ninth edition of the Saudi Film Festival
Me and Aydarous (2022): Joud was able to coerce her family’s driver Aidaroos into taking her on a date, despite his insistence on letting her know that he did not approve of her action.
Director: Sara Balghonaim
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the tenth edition of the Saudi Film Festival
Day 5: Wednesday, November 13
Time: 5pm [to be repeated Sunday, November 17 at 9pm]
5th Collection of Short Films
Total Duration 55m
4 short fiction films
Aayesh (2010): Aayesh is a lonely man. He works as a morgue security guard. One day his daily routine is altered for 10 minutes, but brings about a significant change.
Director: Abdullah Al-Eyaf
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the first edition of the Saudi Film festival
The Sane Wife (2020) : A man recovering from a hypnotic procedure in a hospital wants to hide his secret lover in the closet from his wife during her visit.
Director: Mohammad Makki
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the sixth edition of the Saudi Film Festival
Dream Tank (2022): A short animated film that talks about getting out of one’s comfort zone and safety.
Director: Majdoleen Alharbi
From the eighth edition of Saudi Film Festival
The Old School (2022): Battal has been away from his Saudi office for months. When he returns to work, he finds the work environment has changed completely in his absence. He barely recognises the newly modernised office or his co-workers, who all seem to be new. English is now the primary language of the workplace, which comes as a complete shock. Can he learn to adjust to this new regime? A film that comes to grip with a very real dilemma in today’s Saudi Arabia, where an older generation can be disoriented by the pace of change.
Director: Abdullah Alkhomais
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the ninth edition of the Saudi Film Festival
6th Collection of Films
Time: 9pm [to be repeated the following day at 5pm]
Total Duration 1h19m
One feature documentary & one short fiction
Ramadan in A Day (2022): We live with six characters in different German cities and villages on the last day of the month of fasting and the big celebrations on the following day: Eid, Bayram or Tusker Fest.
Director: Mujtaba Saeed
Language: Arabic, German Subtitles: English, Arabic
From the ninth edition of the Saudi Film Festival
Kabreet / Matchstick (2022): About a young man in a quarrel between his emotions and his memory. In his futility, he tries to find a chain that leads to answers. He tries to awaken a part of him that gives him reason but his thinking is brutal, perhaps even abusive.
Director: Salma Murad
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the ninth edition of the Saudi Film Festival
Day 6: Thursday, November 14
Time: 9pm [to be repeated the following day at 5pm]
7th Collection of Films
Total Duration 1h23m
Two mid length fiction films & one short fiction film
Violin (2016): Khaled finds himself facing an internal struggle in not distinguishing between his religious beliefs and his private life.
Director: Abdulaziz Al-Shlahei
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the third edition of Saudi Film Festival
Peddlers (2015):In a traditional souk, women strive to find a spot for themselves to earn a living, in spite of the numerous daily challenges they face.
Director: Hind Alfahhad
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the third edition of Saudi Film Festival
Sadeya Left Sultan (2019): After his marriage is over, Sultan is desperate to meet his daughter. The unlikely discovery of a puppet, Sadeya, sets a plan in motion. He brings her to life, and reaches his daughter with its help. But one day, the puppet leaves him.
Director: Jowaher Alamri
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the fifth edition of the Saudi Film Festival
Day 7: Friday, November 15
Time: 7pm [to be repeated the following day at 5pm]
8th Collection of Films
Total Duration 1h11m
One mid length fiction film & one mid length documentary film
I Cant Kiss Myself (2016): In a world full of the noise of fame, a celebrity meets a character who raises his questions about the reality of fame at this time.
Director: Ali Alsumayin
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the fourth edition of the Saudi Film Festival
The Donkey Race (2024): A comedy documentary about a weekly donkey race held in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. The story follows a week of preparations for Friday’s race between two speed barriers.
Director: Mohammad Baqer
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the tenth edition of the Saudi Film Festival
Day 8: Saturday, November 16
9th Collection of Films
Time: 7pm [to be repeated following day at 5pm]
Total Duration 1h11m
One anthology feature film consisting of 5 short fiction films
Quareer (2021): Five short stories take a place in a conservative society, where five female protagonists risking their lives by facing incidents that occurs in puberty, marriage, separation, and sexual assault.
Director:Norah Almowald, Ragheed Al Nahdi, Ruba Khafagy, Noor Almeer, Fatimah Alhazmi
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
Eighth Edition of Saudi Film Festival
10th Collection of Films
Time: 9pm [one time screening]
Total Duration 1h29m
One short fiction film & one feature fiction film
40 Years and One Night (2021):Five siblings’ celebration of Eid al-Fitr takes a different turn when their father is involved in a car accident, which soon reveals dark secrets and jeopardizes their relationship with each other.
Director: Mohammad Alholayyil
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the seventh edition of the Saudi Film Festival
Khamseen (2024): Nawaf enters a house to steal it, thinking that no one is there, but a surprise happens when his life is on the line. He plays with the owner of the house to save himself from death.
Director: Abdullah Alrwais
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the tenth edition of the Saudi Film Festival
Day 9: Sunday, November 17
Time: 7pm
11th Collection of Films
Total Duration 1h
One mid length fiction film & one short fiction film
AlBasta: A film that deals with the lives of street vendors in spontaneous conversations filled with joy, laughter, sadness, and mixed feelings.
Director: Mohammad Alhamadi
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the second edition of the Saudi Film Festival
Departures (2017): Salem does not find the life he wants, so he searches for a place different from what he thinks about others and suits his aspirations.
Director: Abdulaziz Al-Shlahei
Language: Arabic Subtitles: English
From the fourth edition of the Saudi Film Festival
Panel Discussions
Free – limited seats, RSVP required
Panel Discussion on Film Festivals
Panel discussion on the importance of film festivals in bridging cooperation amongst filmmakers, and the ways film festivals can collaborate to continue achieving the goals of the Saudi film industry.
Panel Speakers
Ahmed Al Mulla, manager of Saudi Film Festival
Antoine Khalife, director of Arab programs and film classics at Red Sea Film Festival.
Panel Discussion on The Role of Film Festivals in the Film Industry
Panel discussion moderated by Ali AlSarheed, production manager of Cinema Association, discussing the role of film festivals in the industry from the perspective of filmmakers and the key changes currently taking place in the industry.
Panel guests
Baraa Alem, actor
Mohammed AlHolayyil, film director
Ali AlSumayin, film producer & director
Norah AlMowald, film writer & director
