Saudi media and film production company Alamiya Filmed Entertainment (AFE) and Dubai-based Front Row Productions are joining forces on Saudi-Turkish road-trip comedy movie My Treat (Mahmool Makfool).
The feature, which is being billed as the first ever Saudi-Turkish, female-led action-comedy, will begin filming between the Saudi capital of Riyadh and the Turkish city of Istanbul in September.
The cast features Saudi stars Khairiyah Abu Laban (AlHamour, Slave, From the Ashes), Nermin Mohsen (The Blue Whale, Haneen, Abu Janti 1), and Egyptian star Engy Wegdan (H Dabor, Teleat Rohi, Saheb El Saada).
My Treat follows the the comic misadventures of three passionate Turkish soap opera superfans (Abu-Laban, Mohsen, and Wegdan) on their journey from Riyadh to Istanbul.
Driven by their dream to meet their favorite Turkish actor, the trip takes an unexpected turn when they find themselves falsely accused of kidnapping the very star they idolize and entangled in their very own Turkish soap opera.
Egyptian director Karim Abu Zeid (11.11, Wadi Al Jinn and VIU’s Zodiac) is directing from a screenplay by Saudi-Palestinian writer Noha Saadi and an original story by Wesam Kattan.
AFE and Front Row Productions, a joint venture between Front Row Filmed Entertainment and MENA Sony distributor Empire, are co-producing this project, marking the beginning of a new partnership between the two entities.
“This film truly embodies AFE’s vision and strategy. Almost three years in the making, the project represents a collaborative effort where our commitment to process, data, and talent has come to life. The themes of celebrity fandom, friendship, and loyalty are at the heart of this story, reflecting the essence of human connections in the world of fame,” says Wesam Kattan, Executive Producer and CEO of AFE, said “
Front Row Productions CEOs Gianluca Chakra and Mario Junior Haddad emphasized the blend of Saudi cinema and the popularity of Turkish soap operas
“The Saudi cinema industry has been experiencing significant growth, as evidenced by the successes of films like Sattar, Mandoob, Shabab ElBomb and Hammour which have frequently outperformed Western studio blockbusters.
“Alongside this trend, Turkish dramas have already garnered a strong following in the Arab world. A potential strategy for uniting Arab audiences and achieving even greater success could involve blending elements of Saudi and Arab cinema with the popular Turkish style, creating an intriguing formula that respects and incorporates the cultural nuances of all three regions.”
The producers are currently negotiating with an A-list actor to play the Turkish heartthrob at the center story, which will be announced soon.
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