RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is rolling out the red carpet on Friday for its second film festival in seven years but the deeply conservative country has one major problem — cinemas are banned.

More than 60 short films will compete for “Golden Palm Tree” trophies crowning best drama, documentary and student film categories at a gala event attended by film and television celebrities from around the Arab world, festival director Ahmed al-Mulla said.

The kingdom practises an austere version of Islam that does not permit conventional entertainment venues such as cinemas so screenings will take place in an arts centre in the Gulf coast city of Dammam.

Organisers said they hope the five-day festival will open eyes in Saudi Arabia to the possibilities of film despite objections from some conservatives that cinema will “Westernise” the kingdom or corrupt its morals.

“I think we in Saudi Arabia have beautiful culture to tell the world,” said film-maker Abdullah al-Eyaf, the head of the festival jury.

“Why should we wait for this country or that country... to tell stories about Saudi Arabia? “Most of the film-makers being showcased are under the age of 25, said Mulla, who sees his role as helping them to develop.

As well as screening films, the festival will include workshops on scriptwriting, music and directing, and talks by industry figures from around the region.

Developing film culture: Among the films to be shown is “Grand Marriage”, a documentary directed by Faisal al-Otaibi that tells the story of a two-week wedding ceremony taking place in the archipelago nation of the Comoros.

Haifaa Al-Mansour, the country’s first female film-maker, has been invited to attend but she lives outside Saudi Arabia and is unlikely to show up.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play