Grab the popcorn, there’s a new cinema in town. The new Wadi Cinema will be ditching the superhero films for arthouse films and will be showcasing filmmakers from the Middle East.
Wadi Cinema will launch as a pop-up experience at the art festival, Diriyah Biennale, from December 16 and it will run until March 11. The cinema will be located in Riyadh’s JAX District, but in the future it hopes to travel and will be popping up across Saudi Arabia.
With blockbuster movie events taking place, like the Red Sea International Film Festival and filming in AlUla, the industry is expected to see an increase in local films. The cinema is a partnership between Muvi Cinema and Telfaz11. Telfaz11 is in various phases of production on projects as part of its eight-picture deal with Netflix to develop and produce a slate of films for both Arab and global audiences.
Sultan AlHokair, Muvi CEO, says, “The best way to experience cinema is in a theatre, where audiences can break away from their everyday lives to watch a filmmaker’s vision come to life. When we partnered with Telfaz11, we wanted to find unique and innovative ways to bring the experience of independent and critically acclaimed films from renowned film festivals to audiences throughout the kingdom.
Telfaz CEO, Alaa Fadan, adds, “Wadi Cinema will focus on enhancing Saudi Arabia’s theatrical film culture by providing an alternative experience to be enjoyed by cinephiles who have sharply increased in-theatre attendance over the last few years. The venture also seeks to become a preferred destination for both domestic and international independent and mainstream art house films, while also serving as the staging grounds for the latest releases from the world’s biggest film festivals.”
He continues “We are keen to promote and encourage dialogue between the local film community and give independent Saudi filmmakers a voice and opportunity to showcase their work and cement it in the booming local cinema industry”. Get ready to go indie.
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For a fun look at the history of cinema in Saudi Arabia, click here.
