The Red Sea Film Festival is set to make cinema history for Saudi Arabia at its upcoming edition as it hosts the country’s first silent film screening accompanied by a live musical accompaniment.
The UK’s silent film musical specialist Neil Brand will provide live accompaniment to three silent slapstick shorts from Buster Keaton (One Week), Charlie Chaplin (The Immigrant) and Laurel & Hardy (Liberty).
The live music screening event comes as Saudi Arabia continues to grow its film culture and industry in the wake of the lifting of its 35-year cinema ban in 2017.
It was announced as part of the festival’s classic film focused Treasures stand, also featuring two classic Arab and three international feature films.
The lineup also features the international premiere of the recent 4K restoration by the National Film Archive of India of Muzaffar Ali’s 1981 musical drama Umrao Jaan; as well as Alfred Hitchcock’s 1945 thriller Spellbound and Luc Besson’s 1988 free-diving epic The Big Blue, which makes its big-screen debut in Saudi Arabia.
The Arab classics in the selection include Egyptian director Ahmed Badrakhan’s Aida (1942) and Song Of Hope (1937), starring Egypt’s legendary singer actress Umm Kulthum.
“This year’s Treasures lineup spotlights true legends of film, showcasing moments and performances which are immortalised in the cinematic canon brought back to life for local and international audiences,” said Faisal Baltyuor, CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation.
“All of the titles selected broke new ground with their original releases, and it’s a particular privilege to have played a part in the restoration of two of Umm Kulthum’s most memorable performances, as part of our ongoing commitment to bringing the best of cinema to Saudi Arabia.”
The Fifth edition of the Red Sea Film Festival runs from December 4 to 13 with the program due to be unveiled in early November.
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