Todd Albert Nims is a Saudi-born American filmmaker who founded the Riyadh-based production company Empty Quarter Entertainment in October 2018.
Arab News spoke to Nims during the Winter Enrichment Program at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.
The filmmaker said he had been inspired to take part in filming the story of King Faisal’s childhood years.
“It is an important story to be told, a 13-year-old boy going on this diplomatic mission with the fate of the country hanging in the balance. It is quite unique.”
Nims studied at the University of Colorado Boulder and received a bachelor’s degree in communication in 2003.
In 2010, he joined King Abdul Aziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) as a film producer and helped establish the Saudi Film Days program to encourage and fund filmmakers in the Kingdom.
His film “Joud” explores Saudi Arabia’s history and culture, and will be screened in cinemas throughout the country.
Nims’ first feature, “Home: The Aramco Brats’ Story,” won critical praise. His series of short films, “Children of the World,” received a Silver Dolphin at the Cannes Media and TV Awards.
In 2012, after the Tunisian revolution, the filmmaker worked on “Push Tunisia,” a short film exploring skateboard activism.
Alongside his production company, Nims also runs a media consultancy business, AB Media, based in Riyadh. He is currently working on a horror movie set in Saudi Arabia’s southern regions.
