Saudi cinema will be showcased in Alexandria, Egypt from Nov. 1 with a Saudi film festival and cultural events organized by the Ministry of Culture and Information in cooperation with the Alexandria Film Library. Saudi film director Mamdouh Salem received the invitation from the Alexandria Film Library after recently being honored with the title Saudi Cultural Ambassador of 2009. “We received an invitation from the Alexandria Film Library to screen Saudi films there starting from Nov. 1,” Salem told Saudi Gazette. “The inclusion of Saudi films in the cultural program is because of the efforts of the Saudi film industry to highlight the image of the Kingdom's culture and civilization. The short films, documentaries and cartoons have been created by Saudi filmmakers and producers, and they project the real image of Saudi society, its culture and social life as well as a true picture of the local environment and Saudi identity,” Salem explained. He also said that as Egypt is the Hollywood of the Arab world, the film festival focuses on the importance of cinema in the region, and he thanked the Alexandria Film Library for inviting Saudi films to Egypt. Twelve Saudi documentaries and short films will be shown in the Alexandria festival dealing with social and humanitarian issues as well as aspects of Islamic civilization,
