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The National
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Love is Blind Habibi host Elham Ali has big plans for her future in Saudi cinema
As I walk down the French Riviera during the Cannes Film Festival, it's like a league of nations, with pavilions from countries around the world lining the seafront. There is always something exciting brewing here, not least at the Saudi pavilion, where seven talented women have arrived as guests of the Red Sea Film Foundation. The Mena-focused festival is celebrating women in cinema, choosing those who are helping shape a new generation of talent in the Arab world, Africa and Asia. Among this stylish septet is Saudi actor and presenter Elham Ali, looking resplendent in a white trouser suit and silver jewellery. 'I'm here, first of all, to support Saudi women in cinema,' she tells The National amid a hectic afternoon of press meetings. One of the most prominent figures in Gulf and Saudi television, theatre and cinema – and co-presenter of Love is Blind Habibi alongside her husband Khaled Saqer – Ali has never been to Cannes before. But she sees it as more than just a chance to schmooze with A-listers. For Ali, who has been acting for more than a decade, coming to prominence in shows such as Rihana and The Way of Female Teachers, it's all about waving the Saudi flag, as the country's film industry continues to grow. Her mission, she says, is to help 'reiterate the importance of our culture and to convey the image of our culture to the world. I believe that, as Saudis, we are ready to be more present in the international arena and to be the storytellers of the Saudi story.' Ali is not the only Saudi talent the Red Sea International Film Festival has commandeered for its Women In Cinema initiative. She's joined by Sarah Taibah, the artist and filmmaker behind the acclaimed dark comedy series Jameel Jeddan. Others include Egyptian actor Amina Khalil, Syrian filmmaker Gaya Jiji and acclaimed Zambian-Welsh director Rungano Nyoni, whose work I Am Not A Witch and On Becoming a Guinea Fowl screened at Cannes. Last year, Norah became the first Saudi film officially selected for Cannes, while the Saudi-backed Red Sea Fund continues to invest in films that have made their way to the festival (including this year's Un Certain Regard entry Promised Sky). Ali suggests it's all a learning curve for the Saudi film industry. 'We need competition. Competition is useful, and we have been taking the first steps, good and healthy steps, because we need to learn and know more about the industry in general.' Does she feel there is increasing support for Saudi actresses in cinema? 'There is strong support given to the Saudi woman. Hence my presence here,' she says. 'And the support is not just for women in cinema, it's for women at large.' The international stage could be the next logical step. Ali has already worked in an English language film, the Saudi horror The Cello (2023), alongside Oscar-winner Jeremy Irons and Tobin Bell, the star of the Saw franchise. She's always been a horror film fan, 'especially Dracula', she says with a grin. As such, she is open to other English-speaking roles. 'If I feel the role is suitable for me and I am suitable for the role, definitely I will do it because I'm open to any learning experience.' Given The Cello was directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, the filmmaker behind multiple entries in the Saw series, I suggest that Ali may have an emerging career as a Saudi scream queen. 'I wish!' she say, her eyes lighting up. However, you're more likely to find her tapping away at a keyboard. 'I have a new passion, which is writing. Reading scripts gives me ideas.' So will we see her credited as a screenwriter in the future? 'I would love to try,' she smiles.
Arab News
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
AlUla a ‘cinematic wonder,' says exec on 5th anniversary of Saudi Arabia's Film AlUla
CANNES: AlUla's natural landscapes are fast becoming a national icon for Saudi Arabia, attracting tourists who wish to experience the scenes for themselves. But since the inception of Film AlUla, the region's film agency, its sand dunes and historic landmarks have traveled the world through cinema. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ As Film AlUla celebrates its fifth anniversary, Acting Executive Director Zaid Shaker sat down with Arab News to discuss the entity's milestones on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival in France. 'I think that our voice and our positioning (of) Film AlUla as a catalyst in the Saudi film industry has sort of echoed, and now we have amazing infrastructure,' Shaker said. Only seven years ago, cinemas reopened in the Kingdom after a 35-year ban. The establishment of Film AlUla in early 2020, under the mandate of the Royal Commission of AlUla, has played a hand in cementing Saudi Arabia's role in the international film industry. One of Film AlUla's headlining achievements is Tawfik Alzaidi's 'Norah,' released in 2023, which became the first Saudi feature film to premiere at Cannes. The film, which followed the story of a young girl in the 1990s with a thirst for artistic expression, featured a crew made up of 40 percent AlUla locals. This year, first-time director Osama Al Khurayji's 'Siwar' was the opener for the Saudi Film Festival, held at the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) in Dhahran in April. The film follows two families, one Saudi and one Turkish, as they navigate societal challenges and personal upheavals. Here, AlUla acts as a stand in for the southern city of Najran and the shoot featured an 80 percent local crew. Film AlUla executives have long emphasized training the local community as part of their core mission. The area is home to roughly 65,000 residents, the executive said, and one of the core factors to creating a sustainable film sector is establishing a well-trained local crew. This is done through training programs for capacity-building and skill refinement. 'Whenever we work on attracting an international production, our organic by-product is sort of upskilling the locals so that they can take this forward and start narrating their own stories,' Shaker said. The entity recently announced a partnership with Manhattan Beach Studios, which operates more than 600 sound stages around the globe, as operators for their local facilities. 'We try to do everything looking at very high quality and the highest of standards… In partnering with MB Studios to manage our cutting-edge, state-of-the-art facilities, we are showing commitment locally, regionally and internationally, that our positioning is real, and that we offer a seamless, advanced experience to every storyteller that comes to AlUla,' Shaker said. Some of the first major Hollywood productions to shoot in the region were Anthony and Joe Russo's drama 'Cherry,' and Ric Roman Waugh's 'Kandahar,' and others followed. In 2024 alone, AlUla hosted 85 projects, ranging from films and TV series to commercials and music videos. These productions are largely incentivized by the country's rebates policies, operated under the umbrella of the Saudi Film Commission and the National Rebate Fund. 'We offer 40 percent rebates and an uplift of 10 percent incentives, which are usually designed based on training programs and marketing efforts,' he said. This rebate can be elevated to 50 percent when Saudi nationals are employed in key roles within the production. 'AlUla is blessed with a vast, diverse collection of amazing locations. It's awe inspiring — it's a cinematic wonder in itself. So part of the attraction and work in bringing productions and building a film sector relies on the sense of location,' Shaker said. 'It's building on this amazing backdrop, which spans, in its history, more than 200,000 years. The … location has witnessed lots of cultures, lots of civilizations, lots of stories. It's how we position these amazing, inspiring locations to be pivotal characters in any audio-visual production.'
