Participating films on the first Saudi film festival are being aired on Rotana TV movie channel. Viewers will eventually be able to vote for the best submissions. The organizing committee already received more than 100 films varying from feature, short, documentary, and animated films.
Meanwhile, Saudi filmmaker and director of the Saudi Film Festival Mamdouh Salem said the event is a turning point for the film industry in the Kingdom. He said the festival would provide moral and material support for young and talented Saudi people to enter the industry.
The festival has been running since May 10 and is presented by Star Academy star Abdulaziz Abdulrahman. The films are aired on a daily basis. The jury of the film festival is composed of well-known names including artist Abdul Ilah Sinani, film director Haifa Al-Mansour and artist Khalid Al-Harbi.
Rotana TV channel employed a number of journalists, drama stars, and other guests to assess the quality of films shown in the presence of the jury members. A documentary film named “Monopoly,” directed by Badr Al-Hamoud, was presented on the fourth day of the festival and was well received by the jury and guests. Another film, “Bassam” featured a young man with special needs. However, the jury concluded that the film was closer to an awareness film rather than a serious documentary.
Another film directed by Muhammad Al-Hamoud, “Al-Kabsah,” was comedic in nature. However, the jury said the film is poor in terms of idea, light and the way it was directed. A short narrated film called “Under Your Feet” was also presented but received enormous criticism in terms of camera work and other technical aspects. Films destined for kids were also presented such as “Basmah” and “Zahi.”
Salem defended the films shown on the grounds that the participating youths were not given appropriate film industry exposure and that the festival, through Rotana TV, would provide an opportunity to educate and support these young men.
For his part, artist Ali Al-Saba criticized jury members for their criticism of young Saudi filmmakers. Jury members, meanwhile, agreed that the short narrated film “Lish Baba” had a good idea but was poor in terms of camerawork and direction. A series of films were also shown and received varying assessments from the jury. The ninth day of the festival saw a number of films including the police film called “Danger” directed by Abdulmuhsin Al-Hababi, which received varying opinions from the jury. Haifa expressed admiration over the film but stressed filmmakers should try to reflect the local environment and social settings more. Jury members agreed that the short narrated film “My Single Dream” was poor and gave varying opinions on other films such as “The Land of Opportunity,” “The Day of Divorce,” “Exit” and “Picture.”
The 11th day witnessed a number of films including “The Diplomat” directed by Asim Al-Haj. Critic Mohammed Suhaimi refused to comment on the film but gave it a zero rating, describing it as a purely American film that had nothing to do with Saudi cinema.
Saudi film festival a turning point for the industry
Saudi film festival a turning point for the industry
6 planets will parade across the night sky at the end of February
NEW YORK: Six planets are linking up in the sky at the end of February, and most will be visible to the naked eye.
It’s what’s known as a planetary parade, which happens when multiple planets appear to line up in the sky at once. The planets aren’t in a straight line, but are close together on one side of the sun.
Skygazers can usually spot two or three planets after sunset, according to NASA. Hangouts of four or five that can be glimpsed with the naked eye are less common and occur every few years. Last year featured lineups of six and all seven planets.
When will they be visible?
On Saturday, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn will be visible to the naked eye if clear skies allow. Uranus and Neptune can only be spotted with binoculars and telescopes.
What time is optimal for viewing?
Go outside about an hour after sunset and venture away from tall buildings and trees that will block the view. Look to the western sky and spot Mercury, Venus and Saturn close to the horizon. Jupiter will be higher up, along with Uranus and Neptune.
How to know if you’ve spied a member of the parade?
“If it’s twinkling, it’s a star. If it is not twinkling, it’s a planet,” said planetary scientist Sara Mazrouei with Humber Polytechnic in Canada.
The parade should be visible over the weekend and in the days after. Eventually, Mercury will bow out and dip below the horizon.
At least one bright planet is visible on most nights, according to NASA.
Glimpsing many in the sky at once is a fun way to connect with astronomers of centuries’ past, said planetary scientist Emily Elizondo with Michigan State University.
Ancient astronomers used to make sense of the universe “just by looking up at the stars and the planets,” Elizondo said, “which is something that we can do today.”
