Developed in collaboration with RedSeaIFF, Hayy Cinema includes a 168-seat theatre, a 30-seat community screening room, a multimedia library, and an educational exhibition space.
Art Jameel, the independent organisation that supports artists and nurtures creative communities, will open the first Saudi independent cinema, Hayy Cinema, in Jeddah, on December 6, 2022, coinciding with the second edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival.
Hayy Cinema’s year-round programming will include Saudi, Arab and international features, shorts, and documentaries and is set to host flagship film festivals for all – from children through to country – and genre-specific audiences.
Hayy Cinema aims to expand the definition of cinema as a meeting point to watch, learn, exchange, discover and research. The complex includes a 168-seat theatre, a 30-seat community screening room, a multimedia library and an educational exhibition space.
Indicative of the collaborative nature of Hayy Cinema, the opening programme is co-developed with the Red Sea International Film Festival (RedSeaIFF) and celebrates visionaries of Arab cinema’s golden era, including a retrospective from December 6-23, 2022, of five newly restored, groundbreaking films by Egyptian master Youssef Chahine – one of the Arab world’s most internationally celebrated filmmakers.
It will also present an exhibition highlighting the contribution of renowned photographer Gamal Fahmy to the revolutionary force of filmmaking in the region.
Curated by Art Jameel from the Red Sea International Film Foundation Archives Collection, the exhibition features never-before-seen photographs, a collection of personal items, vintage cameras and various ephemera.
Its opening schedule includes five films by Chahine: Alexandria… Why? (Iskindereya… Leh, 1978); Alexandria Again And Forever (Iskendereya Kaman we Kaman, 1989); Adieu Bonaparte (Al-Wedaa Ya Bonaparte, 1985); The Sixth Day (Al-Yom El-Sades, 1986); and Return Of The Prodigal Son (Awdet El-Ibn El-Dal, 1976).
Antonia Carver, the director of Art Jameel, said: “This is Saudi’s first bespoke independent picture house, developed to nurture the local film scene — not only filmmakers but also the audiences who appreciate them. Via a year-round programme of films from Saudi, the region and the world, as well as talks, exhibitions and film festivals held across its various community spaces, the cinema becomes a convivial site of convening, opening up a whole new world of storytelling and imagination.
“We believe that Hayy Cinema’s focus on presenting and documenting the great breadth of global cinema, and in tracing the history of cinemas and films from the Gulf, complements the blockbusters of Saudi’s fast-growing commercial scene and government-led industry initiatives.”
The founders said that through carefully curated retrospectives and archival exhibitions, the cinema invites audiences to discover important films and learn more about the historical influence the independent film industry has had on social and political trends.
Zohra Ait El-Jamar, Senior Manager of Hayy Cinema, added: “The opening of Hayy Cinema in Jeddah captures a moment of increasing passion and support for local and global cinema in Saudi. The collaboration with RSIFF for the opening program of Hayy Cinema speaks to the ethos of Art Jameel: Our model has long been dynamic and adaptive, working with many partnering institutions to build programming collaborations anchored in the specific context of our creative community’s needs and aspirations.
“I thank the team at RSIFF and look forward to continuing to work with the festival and the Saudi film community to build ever-greater appreciation for cinema across the Kingdom.”
