Mohammed Al-Turki talks future of Saudi films at Cannes
Saudi game-changer Mohammed Al-Turki is one of the most wellknown producers in the region, having made a name for himself in the glitzy world of Hollywood. On the occasion of the Cannes Film Festival, the Saudi producer was appointed Chairman of the Festival Committee for the upcoming Red Sea International Film Festival which will be held in December in Jeddah. The much sought-after producer caused quite a stir upon his arrival at the Saudi pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival and Arab News caught up with him to learn more about the future of the Saudi film industry.
Al-Turki expressed his hope that a Saudi film would one day be selected to screen as part of the official Cannes lineup, saying: “We can be proud of many Arabs, but we are still a new industry, and we will continue to evolve. We have talented and wonderful young Saudis, and the creative scene in Saudi Arabia is vibrant, authentic and ambitious.
“I think we will see a lot of admissions to the Academy and to the Hollywood
Foreign Press Association,” he added.
However, he did note the need for Saudi talent to continue perfecting their craft in order for filmmakers to have access to a wealth of actors in the country.
“Whether in Saudi Arabia or in the US, finding the right cast is always a challenge, and I’m sure we will have some great talents to show off because even before movie theaters opened in the country… (it) was already a breeding ground for creators.
“Haifaa Al-Mansour presented ‘Wadjda’ all over the world, while there were no movie theaters in Saudi,” he said, referring to the lauded Saudi director, “so, the creative scene has always been unique, it has always been there. Now with the strong support it has behind it, you will be able to witness all of these cultural shifts.”
He went on to identify AlUla as an area of particular interest in Saudi Arabia.
“We are working on a wonderful tax incentive program to get all of these filmmakers to shoot in the Kingdom, and to showcase wonderful places like the AlUla site. The Russo brothers filmed a few scenes of the movie
‘Cherry’ in Saudi Arabia and are currently shooting a movie called ‘Kandahar’ with Gerard Butler in Saudi Arabia.”