The third annual Jeddah Film Festival (JFF) will feature 70 documentaries and short films to be held at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) July 22-25. 44 films from Saudi Arabia will be screened, 38 of them will compete for awards for: best director, best actor, best editor, and best documentary, best short and best feature film. Mamdouh Salem, Documentary Film Director of Rowad Media and organizer of the JFF said the Mayor of Jeddah, Adil Faqih will attend a portion of the festival. Salem said he hopes the film festival will raise issues of social, humanitarian, and national importance through documentaries and short films. “We seek to stimulate creative talent and develop a visual culture on a local and regional level by providing opportunities for filmmakers to present their films,” Saleh said. “Eventually we want to develop a culturally creative film industry which will serve the Arab and Islamic region,” he said. Salim said the festival will host several workshops and cultural discussions on film and photography. “This festival is open to every one. We want to support and highlight the creative work of young Saudi talent and national tourism with this event.” The Jeddah Film Festival will open with a documentary on the heritage of Saudi Arabia for children, “Ayam Zaman Kuna” (Those Were the Days When We Were Children), “Sabah Al Lail” (Morning Night) and “Abu Halal” by Dr. Rashid Al Shamrani and directed by Mamoun Al Buni. The film contrasts Saudi Arabia in the past to Saudi Arabia of today. Some of the Saudi films to be screened at the JFF include: “World of Images” and “The Image of Man” directed by Saudi filmmaker Bassam Al-Awi, both movies deal with human physical and mental condition. “Home: The Aramco Brat's Story” by an American, Todd Nimes, aims to remove the myths and misconceptions Saudi Arabia in American society especially after the events of 9/11. The film shows life in Saudi Arabia as seen through the eyes of Western expatriate children who grew up there between 1933 and the present day. Aramco Brats were the children of expatriate workers who were employed by Aramco (Arabian American Oil Company) and who spent their childhood in Saudi Arabia. “The Guidance” a film by Fowzi Al-Gabouiari and Bashair Al-Dashas is in response to the Dutch film “Fitna” which insulted the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and the Holy Qur'an, “Girls vs. Boys Jeddah” was produced by a group of young Jeddah filmmakers to make young girls more aware of society, and “Cellar or Basement” and “ Walking Backwards” by Hamza Trazan deal with human problems and secrets. “The Remnants of Food” is the story of human hardships by Moussa Al-Sinyan, and “Disorientation” and “ Condition of Touch” are about young people facing the social problems of drugs and ego by the Saudi filmmaker, Majid Al-Rabiyan. “Soil Complaint” and “Acquitted Dreams” by Basheer Al- Muhaishi are about an orphan boy and his childhood dreams; Hussein Abbas”s “Confused” deals with a father and his responsibilities to his family; and “The Tears of Disabled” by Saud Al-Sayed depicts the everyday problems faced by disabled people. JFF judges Saleh said the JFF will be judged by Saudi”s involved in the television industry. Khalid Al- Takheem, director and producer of programs for Saudi Television and Middle East Television; Fadi Ismaeel, Director General of O3 Production Company; Ahmed Mohammed Al Sameeri, Saudi television critic and member of the Quality Assessment Committee of Saudi Television; Khalid Rabiya Al-Sayed, film critic, author, and member of Jeddah's Literary Club. Other JFF films Other films to be screened during the course of the Jeddah Film Festival are: “Loss” by Ahmed Hassan, “Birds of Paradise” and “ Angels Without Wings” by Mohammed Al-Basha”, “English” by Al-Mansour brothers, “Why Father,” “ A Short Journey,” and “ A Night from Life” by Mahir Al-Ghanum, “Adventure of a Child” and “Affiliation” by Mamdouh Salim and Dalia Bakhet, “Adventure of the City” by Mohamed Hilal, “Spider Web” by Sameer Arif, “ Good Intentions, But” by Naif Al-Fakiha, “The Honest Merchant” by Ayman Foudh, “Stability or Constancy and Plants” by Dr. Lamiya Bashun, “My Prayer is the Secret of My Life” by Ashraf Halawani,” “What After Death” by Jassim Aqeeli, “The Assassination of the City” and “Heritage” by Qadeer Abdullah Mohsin, “Najran in Brief” by Bandar Alyami, “Tales of Bahrain” by Bassam Al-Zawadi, “East”, a Kuwait film directed by Zambo Haith. __
