Saudi filmmaking duo focus on bringing youthful perspective to screens

Faisal Shaath and Ahmed Obad have transformed their passion for photography into reality

A few years ago, local fashion brand campaigns and designs were usually promoted through faceless or indistinguishable models against a plain white background, with a focus on the clothing.

Obad Films is seeking to introduce a clothing line dynamically to audiences through a story.

The company was co-founded by Faisal Shaath and Ahmed Obad and transformed their passion for photography into reality.

Their focus was and still is to bring a fresh and youthful perspective to the Saudi filmmaking indusvalue try. The company has been making its mark on Riyadh’s media sector through unconventional video production methods, driven by a determination to be heard and seen by the older generation.

“We got bored of how stuff is displayed. It’s always the same thing. If it’s a fashion brand, it’s always filmed in a parking lot, it’s always filmed in a desert,” Obad told Arab News. “What makes us different is we really go beyond what you see in the market.”

The company’s client roster consists of brands and companies from a range of industries. They work with clothing and lifestyle brand

Proud Angeles, streetwear and fashion concept store Urbn Lot, Saudi Arabia’s largest governmentbacked music festival Soundstorm by MDLBEAST, AlMashtal Creative Space, Huawei, and others.

The aim is to make high-quality content accessible to developing companies and startups. “We work with clients that know their target audience/mission, but just need an extra visual kick to kick start their business in an accurate and effective way,” Shaath told Arab News.

They built the company to bring the “youth’s lens to the world,” bridging generational gaps in Saudi society that can sometimes act as barriers, with the country coming alive in a different way for their audience through their creative lens and youth-based vision.