The Hail Film Criticism Forum, organized by the Film Commission in the Hail region under the umbrella of the Ministry of Culture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, serves as a vital platform for cultural anc critical exchange within the region. It plays a crucial role in stimulating critical and research movements in the film industry, while also enriching cinematic knowledge.
The forum offers a unique opportunity to revisit and re-experience films from diverse perspectives through a variety of activities, including film screenings, discussion panels, seminars, and specialized workshops.
Sound, an intangible element that eludes the camera lens, nonetheless profoundly influences the cinematic experience. It reflects the skill and creativity of filmmakers, as the film's soundtrack seamlessly intertwines with the visual rhythm to craft a captivating atmosphere that enhances the sensory experience of the audience.
In the absence of music, natural sound becomes an indispensable artistic tool, drawing viewers deeper into the film's world. This magic extends to the subtle sounds of nature, bodily sounds, sound effects. and even the sound of silence in dialogue-driven films..
How do film critics engage with documentary films? What influence do they have in shaping public perceptions of this unique cinematic form? This discussion will explore these questions and more, focusing on the relationship between critical reception and the analysis of documentaries. highlighting the methods that critics use to evaluate this unique cinematic genre.
Critics Corner
"Receiving and dealing with documentary cinema from the perspective of a film critic"
Seminar Title
Do you read criticism?" A question from the other side between two "generations
The role of technicians in film production is undeniably crucial, yet their connection with critics and their engagement with film criticism often remains unclear. How can critics delve into the technical achievements of those behind the scenes, offering insightful analysis that appreciates both the creative and technical elements of a film? Furthermore, to what extent does film criticism shine a light on the artistic contributions of technicians, enriching the narrative and reflecting the director's vision? This seminar seeks to explore these questions, bridging the gaD between technical craftsmanship and critical appreciation.
Presentation
Arab Animation, 90 Years of Challenges and Aspirations
In the age of artificial intelligence, ensuring the originality and distinction of media and creative productions presents significant challenges. How can we explore the future of animation in the Arab world amidst these evolving complexities?? Moreover, how can we recognize and leverage the potential of Arab animators to captivate the global audience with their distinctive narratives? This lecture will offer a comprehensive analysis of the animation landscape in the Arab world, examining its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats from 1936 to the present day. Through this exploration, we will uncover how Arab animators can continue to inspire and influence the world with their creative stories.
Dr. Mohammed Ghazala
AssistantProfessor, Head of the School of Cinema Arts at Effat University_JeddahWith Critics
"Al Hal," directed by Ahmed Al-Ma'nouni, explores the influential Moroccar musical band Nass El Ghiwane, which was established in the 1960s in Hay Mohammadi-one of the most impoverished yet culturally vibrant neighborhoods in Casablanca, in one of the alleys of Hay Mohammadi, which has a historical and social significance in Casablanca
Ahmed Al-Ma'nouni
Moroccan film director and writer
"Alhal" and the documentation of popular music
Al Hal" stands out as a seminal film in the early documentation of the popular music movement. By focusing on Nass El Ghiwane, which emerged from the Mohammadi neighborhood in Casablanca during the early seventies of the last century, Al-Ma'nouni highlights the band's profound impact on Moroccan culture. His work is a testament to the remarkable brilliance of Moroccan cinema, reflecting a unique blend of narrative depth and visual artistry.
Abdul Mohsen Al-Mutairi
Director and Film Critic
Film
Ahmed Manoni
year :1981
Film :88 Min
The film "El Hal" is recognized as one of the pioneering works that explore both musical and documentary aspects of cinema. It provides an in-depth look at the band “Nas El Ghiwane”, immersing viewers in their original environment in the Hay Mohammedi district of Casablanca during the 1970s.
Speakers
Abdul Mohsen Al-Mutairi
Abdul Mohsen Al-Mutairi
Hail
A Saudi film director and producer. He studied film in the United States and participated in directing and producing more than 14 Saudi films. His most notable works include “The Wife of Roses” (2017) and “ISIS Girl” (2016), which participated in international festivals. He also co-wrote the screenplay for the film “Out of the Road” at the Saudi Film Festival 2019. He began his career producing short films since 2008 with the Talashi Film Group, and wrote articles about cinema. His film “From the Memory of the North” won the Best Documentary Award at the Saudi Film Festival 2022.
Abdullah Alokiby
Abdullah Alokiby
Riyadh
Saudi writer and critic Abdullah Alokiby holds a PhD in Literature and Criticism. He has authored several creative works, including plays, and he publishes film essays and analyses in Arabic newspapers and periodicals. He has presented in various Arabic literary festivals and was the media coordinator for the first and second editions of the literary forum Seen Festival, sponsored by the Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts in Jeddah.
Abdullah Alzaid
Abdullah Alzaid
Buraydah Forum
Writer and sociology researcher Abdullah Alzaid was born in Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia, and served as the director of the Al-Qassim branch of the Association of Culture and Arts for five years, chairing the region’s delegation to the Janadriyah Festival for Heritage and Culture. He is an award-winning writer in several fields: His screenplay Papers from the Crime Archive 2044 won a script award at the Saudi Film Festival; in theater, he won the best script award at the first Riyadh Monodrama Festival; and his short story “Uncle Baraka’s Train” was awarded at the national level. As an actor, he has performed in a number of films, TV shows, and plays. He writes on social history, sociology, and art and society for websites and academic journals and is interested in traditions and customs from a cultural perspective.
Abdulmohsen Aldhabaan
Abdulmohsen Aldhabaan
AlAhsa
Saudi director and screenwriter, member of a Saudi film production group (Talashi Group). He directed 5 short films, a TV series, and a feature film (Last Visit). He participated in the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic..
Abdulrahman Alghannam
Abdulrahman Alghannam
Dhahran
Abdulrahman Alghannam is Assistant Professor of Cinema and Media Studies at King Faisal University; he is interested in integrating cultural innovation and entrepreneurship. He holds a PhD in Filmmaking Studies from the Institute of Global Cinema and Creative Cultures at the University of St. Andrews, UK. Alghannam has helped establish a number of film initiatives, presenting a variety of cultural programs and workshops, and is a member of a number of cinema and film national committees. Through his writing and community activities, Alghannam contributes to shaping and empowering the role of scientific research and education to develop the film sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf region.
Aderinsola Ajao
Aderinsola Ajao
Riyadh
Aderinsola Ajao is an arts manager and founder/curator of Screen Out Loud, an independent cinema programme . Her writing has been published in English and in translation.
Adnan Al-Manaws
Adnan Al-Manaws
AlAhsa
A Saudi poet and critic, prepared and presented a four-part program on (poetic cinema), shown on the Saudi Film Festival channel in its eighth edition. He has film reviews and critical writings published in a number of magazines and electronic platforms. He recently wrote a film book about the experience of the filmmaker (Kim Ki-duk, the rejected director of violence).
Afnan Bawyan
Afnan Bawyan
Dhahran
Afnan Bawyan is a script writer and script supervisor. She began her career as an assistant producer, making four short cartoon series, before moving into live-action filmmaking. She has worked as a script supervisor on seven full-length Saudi films, produced by Ithra, Red Sea Film Festival, the Saudi Film Commission, and Netflix. Bawyan also worked as a third assistant director on the Hollywood movie Kandahar, which was filmed in the city of Al-Ula. The script of her first short film, “Saleeg,” received an honorable mention from the Saudi Film Festival and won the Light Award for film support, funded by the Film Commission. Recently, “Saleeg” was accepted at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, in competition for the Best Perspective Short Film award, and at the ninth Saudi Film Festival, in competition for short film. The script for her first feature film, The Photographer of Madina, was accepted at the Red Sea Lab and won the lab award.
Ahaad Alamoudi
Ahaad Alamoudi
Tabuk
Born in Jeddah and educated in England and Saudi Arabia, Ahaad Alamoudi creates work that travels between two kingdoms, addressing history and representation, particularly of Saudi Arabia’s reforming ethnography, through photography, video, and print installations. She has had solo exhibitions at Jeddah’s annual 21,39 art fair and Athr Gallery, and she has exhibited in Jeddah, Sharjah, New York, Houston, and San Francisco.
Ahmed Al-Haqil
Ahmed Al-Haqil
Riyadh
Ahmed Al-Haqil is a Saudi writer and novelist who has published a number of novels, including “Circles,” “Lines,” “Roads and Cities,” “New Creation,” “Days and Books,” and a collection of short stories entitled “Home.”
Ahmed Al-Maanouni
Ahmed Al-Maanouni
Hail
Moroccan director and writer, his works shed light on issues that explore Moroccan history and the collective memory of Moroccans, and also highlight the role of cinema in consecrating national values and Moroccan identity. His film "Al Hal“ (the Condition) attracted international attention after it was restored and presented by Martin Scorsese at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival (Cannes Classics section)
Ahmed Gasmi
Ahmed Gasmi
Abha
Ahmed Gasmi is Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Literature, Arts, and Human Sciences at the University of Manouba, Tunisia. His critical and research specialty is semiotics of literary and visual arts, and he has contributed to the books The Documentary Film: Issues and Problems and The Arabic Documentary Film (both with Arab Scientific Publishers). He is the author of the novel Zapping (2004), as well as a script writer and screenwriter, and has served on juries for film festivals and the Arab Cinema Center’s Critics Awards.
Ali Al-Serheed
Ali Al-Serheed
Riyadh
Project Manager at the Cinema Association and Programming Director at the Saudi Film Festival. He has produced cultural and cinematic programs, and his award winning short films have been screened at local and international festivals.
Ali Almajnooni
Ali Almajnooni
Abha
Buraydah Forum
علي المجنوني كاتب إبداعيّ وباحث ومترجم من المملكة العربية السعودية. شملت كتابات المجنوني الإبداعية كتبًا في القصة القصيرة والرواية وأدب الطفل. وفي النقد فهو يكتب المقالة النقديّة في الأدب والسينما والفنّ والثقافة المعاصرة. نُشرت مقالاته في صحف ومجلّات ورقية وإلكترونية. أمّا في الترجمة، فيترجم ما بين اللغتين العربية والإنجليزية، وصدرت له عدة ترجمات عربية لمجموعة من الروايات المكتوبة بالإنجليزية، أبرزها ترجمة رواية «زنج» (دار أثر 2014) ورواية «أنشودة المقهى الحزين» (دار مسكيلياني للنشر والتوزيع 2015) ورواية «راگتايم» (دار روايات 2017). كما تشمل اهتماماته البحثية النظرية النقديّة، والأدب المقارن، ودراسات الترجمة، والدراسات الثقافية، ودراسات الحداثة وما بعد الحداثة. إضافةً إلى ذلك، فالمجنوني مربّ، إذ يعمل محاضرًا في الأدب الإنجليزي والعربي والأدب المقارن ودراسات الترجمة، كما يُدرس اللغة العربية للناطقين بغيرها.
Ali Hussein Al-Adawy
Ali Hussein Al-Adawy
Curator, researcher, and critic Ali Hussein Al-Adawy has curated film programs, seminars, and exhibitions, such as the film program Labor Images (ongoing since 2019) and, with Paul Cata, the exhibition The Art of Getting Lost in Cities: Barcelona & Alexandria (2017). He co-founded the online film criticism magazine Tripod (2015–17) and was part of the editorial team of TarAlbahr, a publication for urban art practices in Alexandria, Egypt (2015–18).
Ali Zaalah
Ali Zaalah
Riyadh
Cultural advisor, PhD in modern narratives and cultural studies, interested in cinema and arts, published a number of critical books, and a number of critical and creative books, some of which were translated into multiple languages..
Alia Yunis
Alia Yunis
Riyadh
Film and heritage scholar, filmmaker, and writer Alia Yunis worked in Los Angeles for many years as a screenwriter. She is the author of the critically acclaimed novel The Night Counter (2010), and her feature documentary, The Golden Harvest (2019), won Best of the Fest at its US debut at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival. In 2010, she co-founded the Zayed University Middle East Film Festival (ZUMEFF), now the longest-running film festival in the Gulf.
Amal Ahmed
Amal Ahmed
Riyadh
Amal Ahmed is a New York City–based audiovisual archivist and writer with roots in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. For her MA from NYU’s Moving Image Archiving and Preservation Program, she worked on contextualizing Pakistani films from the 1950s to the 1980s held at the George Eastman Museum, and she is currently researching the intertwined history of cinema culture and the South Asian diaspora in Bahrain.
Andrew Higson
Andrew Higson
Dhahran
Andrew Higson is the Greg Dyke Professor of Film and Television at the University of York, one of the UK’s top research-led universities. He was for several years the Head of the university’s Department of Theatre, Film, Television, and Interactive Media (2010-2017). He has published several books and numerous articles in academic journals about questions of national and transnational cinema, and about British and European cinema. He is currently researching and writing a book about national cinema and the United Arab Emirates. He led the international consortium that ran the HERA-funded research project Mediating Cultural Encounters Through European Screens (2013-17), and he was the founding director of the Screen Industries Growth Network, an academic-industry partnership established in 2020 and funded by Research England.
Asmaa Almodir
Asmaa Almodir
Riyadh
A Moroccan film director, screenwriter. She went on to study at LA FEMIS in Paris. Asmae has directed several award-winning short films. The Mother of All Lies is her first theatrical documentary feature.
Ayman Tamano
Ayman Tamano
Riyadh
Ayman Tamano is an international award-winning film director, writer, and cinematographer, best known for his independent film Madayen (2019). Tamano currently resides in Saudi Arabia, where he actively produces films of varying formats. He is also known in Jeddah for his involvement in and contributions to the music industry and his work with prominent regional artists.
Ayoung Kim
Ayoung Kim
Riyadh
In her multifaceted art practice, Ayoung Kim decisively integrates geopolitics, mythology, technology, and futuristic iconography, and she retroactively seeks speculative time to infiltrate the present. She establishes connections between biopolitics and border controls, the memories of stones and virtual memories, and ancestral origins and imminent futures. The resulting narratives can take the form of video, moving image, VR, game simulation, sonic fiction, diagrams, and texts.
Aziz Mohammed
Aziz Mohammed
Tabuk
Saudi novelist, scenarist, and critic Aziz Mohammed is the author of the novel The Critical Case of a Man Called K, which was shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (the “Arabic Booker”) and translated into English, French, and Chinese. As an author and critic, Mohammed has also published essays on literature and film criticism and written scripts and consulted on forthcoming films and TV series
Baraa Alem
Baraa Alem
AlAhsa
Saudi actor, writer and director, founder of the “Filmmer” channel. In his early days, he turned to YouTube “Filmmer” to provide film reviews. The number of his subscribers reached 546 thousand subscribers.
Bassam Al Thawadi
Bassam Al Thawadi
Dhahran
Born in Bahrain, Bassam Al Thawadi has been widely recognized for developing his country’s film industry. After graduating from the Higher Institute of Cinema in Cairo in 1983, he produced and directed Bahrain’s first three feature movies, The Barrier (1990), Visitor (2003), and A Bahraini Tale (2006), as well as numerous TV programs, documentaries, and miniseries. Later, he joined Bahrain’s Information Affairs Authority as Acting General Director of Radio and Television. He has been honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gulf Film Festival in Dubai, and he is a founding member of the GCC Cinema Society. He frequently serves on judging committees for regional and international film festivals.
Bidhan Rebeiro
Bidhan Rebeiro
Riyadh
Bidhan Rebeiro is a Bangladeshi film critic, writer, journalist, and teacher. As a FIPRESCI jury, he served at the Cannes Film Festival and Dhaka International Film Festival.
Bojidar Manov
Bojidar Manov
Riyadh
Film critic and journalist, Former dean of the Cinema Faculty, Sofia, Vice President of FIPRESCI ( 2001 2005 ), Member of European Film Academy, Author and Translator.
Brouin Habib
Brouin Habib
Hail
She is a poet and academic researcher in the cultural and literary fields. She is also a media expert for numerous specialized training courses at Dubai Media Incorporated, where she has contributed to the organization's distinction by launching pioneering cultural dialogue programs in the Gulf region.
Chadi Abo
Chadi Abo
Tabuk
Born in Damascus, Chadi Abo studied at École des Arts Décoratifs and runs the Paris-based HECAT Studio for visual effects. He has worked in VFX since 2001, including a decade in Arabic cinema and TV as effects designer, writer, and director. He co-produced the Emmy-winning Syrian-Danish doc The Cave and is committed to growing Arabic genre productions; his feature The Portal, a sci-fi take on the Syrian war, is in development.
Diaa Youssef
Diaa Youssef
AlAhsa
Buraydah Forum
Poet, writer, director and visual artist, winner of several awards, worked in writing and editing some newspapers and magazines, studied creative and professional scriptwriting at the University of Southern California, member of the board of directors of the Cinema Society, director of the Sidra Center for the Arts.
Diana Martirosyan
Diana Martirosyan
Riyadh
Film critic and cultural journalist, based in Yerevan, Armenia. Has graduated Russian Armenian niversity Journalism ” faculty and got a Bachelor s degree, then studied at Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography, Film studies ” department.
Domoina Ratsara
Domoina Ratsara
Riyadh
Journalist and film critic based in Madagascar. She is a member of the Executive Secretariat of the African Critics Network in charge of the film sector.
Effat Abdullah Fadag
Effat Abdullah Fadag
Tabuk
A cross-disciplinary artist and Associate Professor of Fine Art at the University of Jeddah, Effat Abdullah Fadag is interested in the intersection of art, science, and technology. In 2010, she established Naqsh Art Studio, a platform for students, academics, and artists to explore contemporary art practices. She has also curated exhibitions in Saudi Arabia and serves as a reviewer at Common Ground Research Networks.
Elena Rubashevska
Elena Rubashevska
Riyadh
Film critic, festival programmer, and mentor. FIPRESCI vice president and editor in chief. Author of the book " Ukrainian poetic cinema
Emile Aouad
Emile Aouad
Abha
Buraydah Forum
Emile Aouad grew up among musicians: his Armenian mother, who is a pianist, and his Lebanese father, a composer and a professor of oriental music. He pursued his passion through audiovisual and cinematographic studies at Saint Joseph University (IESAV) in Beirut. In 2000, he became an instructor at the same university, where he currently teaches sound design, sound recording, technical listening, and Foley artistry. Today, he puts most of his creative talent into sound design and composing music for films. He has worked on the soundtracks of more than 200 documentary films, for independent production houses and TV broadcasters. His work in music composition and sound design extends also to feature films, commercials, TV television programs, and plays.
Erfan Rashid
Erfan Rashid
Dhahran
Erfan Rashid is a journalist, writer, and director, and a film critic for the TV channel Asharq News. He was born in Iraq and currently resides in Italy. He holds a BA in Dramatic Arts from Baghdad’s Academy of Fine Arts (1977). He has worked as a journalist for numerous Italian media institutions, including national broadcast network Rai, and as an Italian correspondent for many Arab media outlets, such as Al Hayat and Radio Monte Carlo. He currently presents a weekly program entitled Alsharq Cinema, broadcast from Dubai. Rashid authored the book Cinema of the Arab Countries, published in Italian, and has translated several Italian novels into Arabic, published by Al-Mutawassit in Milan, including Il Compagno, by Cesare Pavese, and Leonardo Sciascia’s Mafia trilogy.
Essam Zakareya
Essam Zakareya
AlAhsa
Film critic, researcher and lecturer in cinema, translator, director of the Cairo International Film Festival, former president of the Ismailia International Film Festival (2017-2024), member of the jury of many Arab and international festivals .Essam moved over 40 years between several prestigious institutions, between journalism, criticism, editorial management and holding presidential positions. During that time, he wrote and translated many cinematic books about Arab and international cinema and filmmakers
Feras Almadi
Feras Almadi
Riyadh
Feras Almadi is a Saudi film critic who has published numerous articles and reviews across various cultural platforms and magazines. He writes for Al Majalla, focusing on analyzing contemporary trends in global cinema, exploring them within their historical context, and delving into their stylistic themes. His work aims to understand and highlight the impact of visual and auditory media in crafting rich artistic experiences. Additionally, Almadi engages in dialogues with directors, artists, and critics, and conducts seminars and workshops that explore the relationship between art and popular culture, the concept of poetic cinema, and other related topics in collaboration with independent cinemas and cultural institutions.
Habib Nasry
Habib Nasry
Buraydah Forum
Dr. Habib Nasry is a specialized researcher and professor in criticism, with a wealth of studies, research papers, and film critical literature. He has authored and directed a remarkable collection of documentary films. Nasry holds esteemed status as a member of several judging committees at both Moroccan and international film festivals. In addition, he has conducted numerous workshops on film analysis and documentary writing. In recognition of his exceptional contributions, he was awarded the prestigious first national prize in the field of education and training in 2010. Furthermore, Nasry’s visionary leadership led to the establishment of the renowned International Documentary Film Festival in the city of Khouribga. His impressive body of work also encompasses the publication of numerous articles and highly regarded peer-reviewed scientific studies, both within the borders of Morocco and internationally, particularly in the realm of visual arts. Moreover, he has overseen and examined the dissertations of talented individuals at various Moroccan colleges. Nasry has also spearheaded multiple scientific research teams within the field of visual arts. Presently, his expertise is in demand as he imparts knowledge on subjects of documentary film, screenplay writing, and the analysis of artistic discourses at multiple universities in Morocco. As an esteemed professional, he proudly serves as a member of both the Moroccan Chamber of Documentary Filmmakers and the Screenwriters Association. It is noteworthy that Nasry’s significant contributions to the cultural fabric have been acknowledged by his selection as one of the prominent and influential cultural figures in Morocco for two consecutive years.
Hammadi Gueroum
Hammadi Gueroum
Abha
Hammadi Gueroum is Professor of Cinematography at Hassan II University, Casablanca. He holds a Ph.D. in literature and cinema and a postgraduate diploma in narrative discourse analysis. He founded the Rabat International Auteur Film Festival (FICAR — Festival International du Cinema D’Auteur de Rabat) and continues as its artistic director. He is also director and president of the International Independent Film Festival in Casablanca, and he has founded several cultural and research organizations in Morocco, including the Moroccan Association of Film Critics and the Moroccan Association for Academic Research in Cinema. He serves on the committees of several national and international festivals, and he has supervised a number of workshops and screenwriting ateliers. His publications include Adaptation: From Novel Narrative to Cinematic Narrative (2005).
Hana Alomair
Hana Alomair
Dhahran
Hana Alomair is the writer-director of “The Complaint,” awarded Best Short Film at the 2015 Saudi Film Festival. She is the co-writer and director of the first Saudi Netflix original miniseries, Whispers (2020), and the writer of Sharshaf, which won the Red Sea Lodge production grant of $500,000. Her current film project, Dancing on Fire, was selected as one of six Saudi projects in the Red Sea Lodge and won a prize of $70,000 from Shahid at the Red Sea Film Festival Market. She works as a content advisor for MBC and is the chair of the Saudi Cinema Association.
Harshini J. Karunaratne
Harshini J. Karunaratne
Riyadh
Harshini J. Karunaratne is a Sri Lankan–Peruvian digital artist working at the intersections of film, theater, and technology. Her work has been shown at the FILE Festival in Sao Paulo, Burning Man in Black Rock City, Nevada, and Art Dubai. Based in Berlin, Karunaratne lectures at local universities on media theory and performance studies. She is also the organizer and lead curator for MANIFEST:IO, a symposium for new media and electronic art that launched in Berlin in February 2023.
Haya Al-Hossain
Haya Al-Hossain
Scholar, painter, poet, filmmaker, and holder of a doctorate in Film Studies, Haya Al-Hossain has lived in Mauritania, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the US, France, and Germany and has traveled throughout most of Europe and the Middle East. She has been exhibiting her artwork since 1998 and has worked in film since 1999.
Haya Alghanim
Haya Alghanim
Riyadh
Haya Alghanim is an artist and filmmaker based between New York City and Kuwait City. Her work engages the subjects of digital activism, collective intelligence and action, and the politics of art, and it has been exhibited at various international venues, including the Sharjah Art Foundation, Misk Art Institute, the Arab American National Museum, and Lothringer 13 Halle. Her feature film in development is supported by the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation, TorinoFilmLab, and the Royal Film Commission - Jordan.
Heba Othman
Heba Othman
Hail
An editor who graduated from the Higher Institute of Cinema, she worked on many films with important directors and edited 4 feature films. Her first film was “Out of Day” directed by Hala Lotfy in 2012. “Out of Service” directed by Mahmoud Kamel in 2015, and she won the Best Editing Award from the Film Association for the same year. “You Will Die at Twenty” directed by Amjad Abu Al-Ala, a joint Sudanese-Egyptian film produced in 2019. One of her most important films was “Curfew” in 2020, directed by Amir Ramses, and she won the Best Editing Award from the Film Association.
Hideaki Fujiki
Hideaki Fujiki
Riyadh
Hideaki Fujiki is Professor of Cinema Studies at Nagoya University, Japan, and Director of the Center for Transregional Culture and Society at the university’s Graduate School of Humanities. His publications include Making Audiences: A Social History of Japanese Cinema and Media (2022), Making Personas: Transnational Film Stardom in Modern Japan (2013), and The Japanese Cinema Book (co-edited with Alastair Phillips, 2020). He is currently completing two monographs on media and ecology.
Hisham Nazih
Hisham Nazih
Hail
One of the most brilliant and prolific composers of soundtracks in Arab cinema. His music has been associated with popular works by a number of directors, most notably: Radwan Al-Kashef, Sandra Nashat, Marwan Hamed, and Tarek Al-Aryan. Due to the abundance of his musical works and the use of musical pieces for every scene in the film, his presence will be an added value in this symposium to talk about his relationship with criticism and the critics’ discussion of his enhanced role in the artistic work.
Ibrahim Al Aris
Ibrahim Al Aris
Riyadh
Buraydah Forum
Born in Beirut, worked in cinema before studying directing in Rome and criticism and screenwriting in London, and turned to writing about cinema and the history of culture. He published two magazines before working in journalism, especially in Al Hayat ” for sixty books as an author and seventy as a translator from French and English on various issues
Ieva Šukytė
Ieva Šukytė
Riyadh
Ieva Šukytė has been a member of FIPRESCI since 2020 . She served in Venice, Berlin and other festivals as FIPRESCI JUROR. She also works for Vilnius Short Film Festival as senior programmer.
Jay Weissberg
Jay Weissberg
Riyadh
Since 2016 , film historian and critic Jay Weissberg has been the director of the Giornate del Cinema Muto/ Pordenone Silent Film Festival, the world s largest and oldest festival of archival silent film.
Jihan El-Tahri
Jihan El-Tahri
Award-winning director, writer, visual artist, and producer Jihan El-Tahri has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and has directed more than fifteen films. Her visual art has traveled to museums and biennials around the world, and her published books include Les sept vies de Yasser Arafat and The Fifty Years War: Israel and the Arabs. She is a mentor in various film labs and serves in African film organizations such as FEPACI and the Guild of Filmmakers in the Diaspora.
Joseph Kickasola
Joseph Kickasola
Jeddah
Dr. Joseph G. Kickasola is Professor of Film and Digital Media at Baylor University. He is the author of numerous essays in a variety of film studies journals and anthologies, the editor of a special issue of Religions on “Film and Lived Theology,” and the author of the monograph The Films of Krzysztof Kieślowski: The Liminal Image, which won the 2006 Spiritus Award for the “best writing at the intersection of religion and film.” He specializes in the films of Kieślowski, phenomenological film theory, and religion and film, and currently serves as Secretary/Treasurer of the Society for Cognitive Studies of the Moving Image. He lives in New York City, where he runs the Baylor in New York program.
Kamal Ramzy
Kamal Ramzy
Riyadh
One of the most prominent Arab critics in the field of cinema, he began his professional career in 1968. He has several publications, including: “Art between the Turban and the State”, “Mahmoud Morsi, the Bird of Heaven and Hell”, “Egyptian Cinema Stars, Essence and Masks”, and “Kamal El Sheikh, Half a Century of Creativity”. In addition to articles, studies and research in Egyptian and Arab magazines and newspapers, in which he presented the essence of his experience with the seventh art. He also participated in arbitration committees and local and Arab festivals.
Kay Dickinson
Kay Dickinson
Dhahran
Kay Dickinson is Professor of Film and Television Studies, as well as the convenor for MA Creative Arts and Industries, at the University of Glasgow, UK. She is the author of Arab Cinema Travels: Transnational Syria, Palestine, Dubai and Beyond (2016) and Arab Film and Video Manifestos: Forty-Five Years of the Moving Image Amid Revolution (2018). She has published on various aspects of Arab popular and experimental culture in peer-reviewed journals and award-winning anthologies and is currently completing a monograph entitled Supply Chain Cinema: The Transnational Production of Big-Budget Film Workers (2023).
Khairy Beshara
Khairy Beshara
Riyadh
Khairy Beshara (b. June 30, 1947) is a prominent Egyptian filmmaker, one of only a handful of directors credited for redefining Realism in Egyptian cinema. Beshara graduated top of his class from the High Cinema Institute in 1967, upon which he earned a two-year scholarship to Poland to complete a staż (internship).
Kong Rithdee
Kong Rithdee
Riyadh
Kong Rithdee is Deputy Director of Thai Film Archive, a preservation agency and cinematheque in Bangkok, and he helps organize the long-running Thailand Short Film and Video Festival. He has been writing about film and visual art since 1996, mainly for the Bangkok Post, and has made several documentaries on the subject of Muslims in Thailand, including The Convert (2008), Baby Arabia (2010), and Gaddafi (2014), which have screened at festivals such as Vancouver, Busan, Hawaii, and IDFA in Amsterdam.
Kōbun Shizuno
Kōbun Shizuno
Dhahran
Kōbun Shizuno is best known for directing the animated films Case Closed: The Crimson Love Letter (2017) and, with Hiroyuki Seshita, GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters (2017). He first directed one of the Case Closed films in 2004 and was selected as general director of the animated series G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 in 2005. After that, he returned to Case Closed, directing the series from 2011 to 2017. He also directed the animated TV series Knights of Sidonia (2014) and co-directed the whole animated trilogy GODZILLA, released in 2017 and 2018.
Maha Sultan
Maha Sultan
Jeddah
Maha Sultan is a cultural writer and editor passionate about cinema and film criticism. She is also the founder of the Meem Platform for Cinema and Arts. Maha has participated in several local programs, where she honed her creative skills, including planning creative projects, researching Arab and international film studies, and writing about movies. In pursuit of innovation and achievement, Maha joined the world of entrepreneurship at an early age and embarked on a journey of various interests, such as cinema, audiovisual and visual production, art, and entrepreneurship, to achieve her creative mission and future vision.
Mahmoud Mahdi
Mahmoud Mahdi
AlAhsa
صانع محتوى رقمي، ناقد سينمائي مصري.مؤسس قناة "فيلم جامد" المخصصة لمراجعة الأفلام العربية والعالمية ونقدها، وصل عدد مشتركي القناة إلى 797 ألف مشترك.
Marcelo Janot
Marcelo Janot
Riyadh
Film critic for O Globo newspaper and editor in chief of Criticos.com.br. Served as president of the FIPRESCI jury at Cannes in 2024 and recently directed a documentary TV series about film composers
Mariam El Ajraoui
Mariam El Ajraoui
Riyadh
Mariam El Ajraoui is a cinema researcher affiliated with Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, specializing in Arab-world cinemas. She has published and presented scholarly work on Moroccan filmmakers Faouzi Bensaïdi (in Les arts dans la sphère publique, 2016) and Hakim Belabbès (Filmer le quotidien, 2017), and Moroccan cinema more generally (A*Desk, 2022). El Ajraoui is also a director, actress, and educator.
Marina Kostova
Marina Kostova
Riyadh
Marina Kostova is an award winning journalist, among leading film critics and reporters in North Macedonia, a Deputy of Editor in Chief of sdk. mk digital newsroom and president of the Macedonian Section of FIPRESCI.
Marlena
Marlena
Riyadh
Film critic and journalist with over 20 years of professional experience. Currently writes for Politika , Synuropa and others. Member of the International Federation of Film Critics and the European Film Academy. In addition, she consults on scripts and works as head of the industry department at the Polish Film Festival.
Mashael Abdullah
Mashael Abdullah
Riyadh
A committed film critic with a profound passion for cinema, focusing on independent, Arabic ، European ، and feminist films. My work, featured in various publications, fosters meaningful discussion on storytelling cultural & societal impact.
Matthew Tan
Matthew Tan
Riyadh
Matthew Tan is an independent filmmaker and scholar whose research has explored Malaysian, postcolonial, eco- and amateur cinema. He holds an MSt in Film Aesthetics from the University of Oxford.
May Adadol Ingawanij
May Adadol Ingawanij
Riyadh
May Adadol Ingawanij | เม อาดาดล อิงคะวณิช is a writer, curator, and teacher. She works on Southeast Asian contemporary art, de-westernised and decentered histories and genealogies of cinematic arts, avant-garde legacies in Southeast Asia, forms of future-making in contemporary Global South artistic and curatorial practices, and the aesthetics and circulation of artists’ films belonging to or connected with Southeast Asia. She is Professor of Cinematic Arts at the University of Westminster, London, where she co-directs the Centre for Research and Education in Arts and Media.
Maya Al-Hajj
Maya Al-Hajj
AlAhsa
Writer and critic. She worked at Al-Hayat newspaper and headed the cultural section at An-Nahar newspaper. She presented critical segments on An-Nahar website and Daraj website. She currently presents a critical video program on Al-Araby2 platforms.
Mikey Muhanna
Mikey Muhanna
Riyadh
Educator, podcast host, and the founder of afikra the global movement reframing Arab , world narratives through podcasts, academy courses, and community events across 30 chapters worldwide.
Mohamed Abdel Jalil
Mohamed Abdel Jalil
AlAhsa
Journalist and art critic, senior producer at Al Sharq News Channel. He has over 20 years of experience, presents a critical segment on Al Sharq Bloomberg Channel, worked in a number of Arab newspapers, platforms and news websites, in addition to art programs and documentaries on a number of channels, including: Egyptian TV, Dream, Rotana, Tahrir, and Al Ghad. He participated in covering a number of international art festivals and events, such as: Cannes, Venice, Malmö, the Red Sea, and Abu Dhabi.
Mohamed Abousoliman
Mohamed Abousoliman
Riyadh
Filmmaker and creator of the CINEMATOLOGY Youtube Channel and Podcast.
Mohamed Sobaih
Mohamed Sobaih
Dhahran
Dr. Mohamed Sobaih is Assistant Professor at Effat University in Jeddah. He has 20 years of experience directing 2D and 3D animation and has worked on projects and taught in South Africa, Egypt, France, Guyana, and more, particularly in his former position as a business developer and trainer for Toon Boom Animation. In 2021 he was nominated for the Parallel Shows program within the Saudi Cinema program at the Saudi Film Festival, and he won the top prize at the 48 Hour Film Project festival in Durban in 2015. His animation work has also been shown in festivals in Brazil, the UK, Italy, and Nigeria.
Mohammed Al Bashir
Mohammed Al Bashir
Riyadh
Hail
Supervisor of the Cinema Committee, Al Ahsa Culture and Arts Association, founding member of the Film Association, PhD in Criticism from King Faisal University, and has a number of critical research and studies published in local and Gulf magazines and electronic platforms
Mohammed Al Salman
Mohammed Al Salman
Riyadh
Writer, Director and Producer. He has written, directed and produced 4 short films. His first short film “In Between” was selected as the opening film of the 2016 Saudi Film Festival, and two of his short films are showing on Netflix. His first feature film “The Raven’s Song” was written, directed and produced by him in partnership with Telfaz 11.
Mohammed Ghazala
Mohammed Ghazala
Hail
A professor of animation and the head of the School of Cinematic Arts at Effat University in Jeddah, which is the first academy of its kind in Saudi Arabia dedicated to film and animation studies. Additionally, he serves as the vice president of the International Animated Film Association (ASIFA) and is the founder of its regional branch in Africa and the Arab world.
Mohammed Hammad
Mohammed Hammad
Riyadh
Over fifteen years in film and TV production, Jeddah-based Mohammed Hammad has worked for MTV Arabia, MBC, and DMI; most recently he was creative director for Saudi’s electronic music festival MDLBEAST. Hammad creates immersive art films that navigate his upbringing in London and Paris while maintaining his cultural roots. His latest work, a musical comedy horror mash-up, Yallah, Yallah Beenah!, was selected for 21,39 Jeddah Arts and showcased at the Red Sea International Film Festival.
Mohammed Tarek
Mohammed Tarek
Riyadh
Egyptian film critic and programmer who works as a programmer for Cinema Akil and shorts programmer for Dublin International Film Festival, in addition to working as a consultant to the Cairo international film festival’s president.
Musab Alamri
Musab Alamri
Riyadh
Musab Alamri is a consultant and assistant professor of film. He has led high-profile cultural projects in both government and private sectors. Alamri holds an MFA from NYFA and a PhD from the University of Nottingham. He has published three peer-reviewed research articles and authored two books, including Film Directing in 2024.
Naminata Diabate
Naminata Diabate
Jeddah
Naminata Diabate, Associate Professor of Comparative Literature at Cornell University, is a scholar of gender, sexuality, and race. Her most recent work on literary fiction, cinema, visual arts, and digital media has appeared in a monograph, peer-reviewed journals, collections of essays, and public platforms, including podcasts, newspapers, and news outlets. Her book, Naked Agency: Genital Cursing and Biopolitics in Africa, was published by Duke University Press in 2020 and awarded the African Studies Association 2021 Best Book Award and the African Literature Association 2022 First Book Prize. This year, she holds the Ali Mazrui Senior Research Fellowship at the Africa Institute of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, where she is working on two monographs, “Pleasure and Displeasure in Global Africa” and “Digital Insurgencies and Bodily Domains.”
Nehal El-Hadi
Nehal El-Hadi
Tabuk
Dr. Nehal El-Hadi is a Toronto-based researcher who writes about environmental issues and the social impacts of technology for such publications as Guernica and The New Inquiry. She is Science & Technology Editor at The Conversation Canada and Editor in Chief of Studio magazine. She is currently in residency at Toronto’s Theatre Centre, developing a live arts event that examines privacy, consent, and surveillance in public spaces.
Ola Salwa
Ola Salwa
Riyadh
Polish film critic, journalist with over 20 years of professional experience. She currently writes for Polityka , Cineuropa among others. She is a member of Fipresci and European Film Academy. Additionally, she consults scripts and holds a position of head of industry at Polish Film Festival. Ola is learning Arabic and wants to focus on Arab cinema
Paola Casella
Paola Casella
Riyadh
Film Critic for MYmovies . She is Vice President and Italian National Delegate of FIPRESCI and a member of the selection committee of the European Discovery Awards
Paul Schrader
Paul Schrader
Jeddah
Screenwriter and director Paul Schrader was born on July 22,1946, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He earned his BA from Calvin College, then his MA from UCLA, while working as a film critic and writing Transcendental Style in Film. He attended the inaugural class at the American Film Institute (AFI). He has written or directed over thirty films, including four collaborations with Martin Scorsese. The first, Taxi Driver, won the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival. In 1978, he directed his first film, Blue Collar. Schrader’s catalog of film includes American Gigolo, Cat People, Mishima, and Affliction. In 2019, Schrader was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for First Reformed, which he also directed.
Peter Limbrick
Peter Limbrick
Professor and Chair of Film and Digital Media at the University of California, Santa Cruz, Peter Limbrick is the author of Arab Modernism as World Cinema: The Films of Moumen Smihi (2020); he also curated a retrospective of the Moroccan filmmaker, with screenings in Berkeley, Chicago, and London. With Omnia El-Shakry, he programmed the parallel symposium Unfixed Itineraries: Film and Visual Culture from Arab Worlds at UC Santa Cruz, and in 2022 he was Camus/AMIDEX chair at l’IMéRA, Aix-Marseille University.
Qasim Qias
Qasim Qias
Hail
A member of the editorial board of Arab Cinema magazine, the annual Arab Cinema Critics Awards Committee, and the Swedish Film Critics Association. He also works as a consultant for the Arab Film Festival in Rotterdam. Qais Qasim publishes articles on cinema and criticism in Arab newspapers and writes regularly about Arab and international film festivals in Al-Usbu’iya magazine. Qais Qasim is an important reference in the field of film criticism and has had distinguished coverage of the Arab film industry for decades.
Rabih El-Khoury
Rabih El-Khoury
Dhahran
Rabih El-Khoury holds a BA in Journalism from the Lebanese American University in Beirut and an MA in Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship from Goldsmiths, University of London. He has been working with the Metropolis Association, which manages Metropolis Art Cinema, the only art house cinema in Lebanon, since its inception in 2006. From 2006 to 2015, he also worked as general coordinator for Beirut Cinema Days, and he has organized over 20 other Arab film weeks in the Arab world and Europe. El-Khoury served as Programme Manager of Talents Beirut and curated the Film Prize of the Robert Bosch Stiftung from 2017 until 2021. Alongside his position as Diversity Manager at DFF – Deutsches Filmmuseum & Filminstitut in Frankfurt, he is a programmer at Alfilm, the Arab Film Festival of Berlin. He curates the SAFAR Film Festival of the Arab British Center in the UK and collaborates with Afrikamera in Berlin.
Rania Gaafar
Rania Gaafar
Buraydah Forum
Rania Gaafar, PhD, is a lecturer in global art and media studies at University of the Arts Bremen, Germany. She has previously held positions at the American University of Beirut, and, in Germany, the University of Siegen and ZKM, the Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe. She has published on postcolonial media theory, contemporary media, and film art. She is the author of Phänomenotechniken des Films (Phenomenological Techniques in Film, forthcoming).
Rania Stephan
Rania Stephan
Buraydah Forum
Born in Beirut, Rania Stephan is an artist, filmmaker, and editor working with still and moving images. She has directed art videos and creative documentaries with a personal and poetic perspective on political events. Her most recent work delves into archival material to investigate forgotten images and sounds that haunt the present. By juxtaposing old images with new, she triggers renewed narratives and emotions.
Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott
Tabuk
Globally recognized director and producer Ridley Scott is best known for films such as Thelma & Louise, Alien, Black Hawk Down, and Blade Runner. His film epic Gladiator won the Academy Award, Golden Globe, and BAFTA Award for Best Picture. He is currently in post-production on Napoleon, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Ludivine Sagnier, and Vanessa Kirby.
Rihab Boukhayatia
Rihab Boukhayatia
Riyadh
Specializing in law, journalist at Nawaat Foundation since 2019 , covering social and cultural issues, specializing in rights and freedoms.
Rita Duotta
Rita Duotta
Riyadh
Professor, Film Critic and Editor. A member of International Film Critics’ Association, Fipresci, she is currently editing a book on Indian Regional Cinema. Editor of the International Film Journal “FilmBuff”
Ruba Al-Sweel
Ruba Al-Sweel
Jeddah
Ruba Al-Sweel is a multidisciplinary creative with a practice rooted in writing and research focused on online movements and digital communications. She often produces text-based works that reference pop and mass culture. Layering written and visual symbols, she parodies mass media by exaggerating certain aspects of contemporary society. She has published on visual anthropology with a focus on the Middle East; her writing has appeared in the Brooklyn Rail, Art Asia Pacific, and VICE, among others. She holds a master’s degree in media and creative industries from Sciences Po, Paris, and currently manages global communications at Art Jameel.
Said El Mazouari
Said El Mazouari
Riyadh
Moroccan writer, educator in the visual image, and film critic for the daily Al Araby Al Jadeed since 2018 , Said ElMazouari graduated from the Ecole Nationale de Commerce et de Gestion in Settat in 2005
Samhita Sunya
Samhita Sunya
Samhita Sunya is Associate Professor of Middle Eastern & South Asian Languages & Cultures at the University of Virginia. She is the author of Sirens of Modernity: World Cinema Via Bombay (2022), about the global circulation of Hindi films and songs in the 1960s, and guest co-editor of a “South by South/West Asia” special issue of Film History (2020). She is the reviews editor for the journal BioScope: South Asian Screen Studies and guest programmer for the Virginia Film Festival.
Samirah Alkassim
Samirah Alkassim
Abha
Samirah Alkassim is an experimental documentary filmmaker and Assistant Professor of Film Theory at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. She is currently editing a documentary about Jordanian artist Hani Hourani and doing research for a book, A Journey of Screens in 21st Century Arab Film and Media (Bloomsbury, forthcoming 2025). She is co-editor of the series Palgrave Studies in Arab Cinema.
Sara Balghonaim
Sara Balghonaim
Riyadh
Sara Balghonaim is a Saudi filmmaker with a MFA in Film and TV production from New York University. Sara’s directorial debut “Me & Aydarous” was in Official Selection at Aspen Shortsfest, Palm Springs International Shortfest, The Hamptons Int’l Film Festival, NewFilmmakers LA, and the Red Sea Int’l Film Festival in 2023. It also won the Jury award at the Saudi Film Festival and the Wasserman Award.
Sara Mesfer
Sara Mesfer
Riyadh
A Saudi writer and director with a degree in Cinematic Art. Known for her award winning film The Girls Who Burned the Night, Night,” she was named one of Screen International' s Arab Stars of Tomorrow.
Shubhra Gupta
Shubhra Gupta
A columnist for The Indian Express for more than 20 years, Shubhra Gupta is one of India’s best-known film critics and the recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka award in 2012. She curates and conducts the hugely popular platform The Indian Express Film Club, in Delhi and Mumbai, teaches courses on “Understanding Cinema,” and serves on festival juries. She is the author of 50 Films That Changed Bollywood 1995–2015 (2016) and Irrfan: A Life in Movies (2023).
Siobhan Synnot
Siobhan Synnot
Siobhan Synnot is an award-winning freelance film critic, writer and broadcaster. Brought up in Scotland, she has worked in the UK across a changing landscape of TV, radio, and digital film content. As well as reviewing, she specializes in interviews (her first was with Shirley MacLaine), features, and profiles. She has also served on national and international film juries, and is currently writing a book on Scottish cinema with stories behind some of Scotland’s best-loved films.
Sona Karapoghosyan
Sona Karapoghosyan
Riyadh
Film critic and curator based in Yerevan, Armenia. In 2017, she joined Golden Apricot International Film Festival as a program curator, and co-founded GAIFF Pro, the industry platform of the festival. qIn recent years she managed and curated multiple film screenings and film-related projects in Armenia. Member of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI).
Sreya Mitra
Sreya Mitra
Dhahran
Sreya Mitra is Associate Professor at the Department of Mass Communication, American University of Sharjah, UAE. Her research focuses on popular Indian cinema, television and new media discourses in South Asia, stardom and celebrity culture, fandom studies, gender, globalization, and culture industries. She has presented her research at various international conferences, and her work has been published in the edited collections Reorienting Global Communication (2010), Transnational Stardom (2013), and Nation, Nationalism and the Public Sphere (2020), and in the peer-reviewed journals South Asian History and Culture (2012), Celebrity Studies (2018, 2020, 2021), South Asian Popular Culture (2020), Transformative Works and Cultures (2020), and Middle East Journal of Culture and Communication (2021).
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