Film Clinic will bring titles from Cannes, Venice, Sundance, and Toronto to the 2023 Red Sea International Film Festival.
Film Clinic is set to take centre stage at the upcoming third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival, scheduled to run from November 30 to December 9, 2023. The production and distribution company will showcase four of its titles during the festival, making a significant mark across various sections.
Leading the charge in the Arab Spectacular section are the titles Hajjan and Four Daughters. Abu Bakr Shawky’s latest offering, Hajjan, produced by the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) and Film Clinic, had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Co-produced by The Imaginarium Films’ Rula Nasser, the film revolves around brothers Matar and Ghanim navigating life in the vast desert of Saudi Arabia. Facing tragedy, young Matar enters a camel race to preserve his camel Hofira in this coming-of-age drama.
Written by Omar Shama, Mufarrij Almajfel, and Abu Bakr Shawky, Hajjan stars Abdul Mohsen Al-Nemr, Omar Al-Atawi, Al-Shaimaa Tayeb, Azzam Nemr, Toleen Barbood, and Ibrahim Al-Hassawi.
In the same section, Kaouther Ben Hania’s Four Daughters, which represents Tunisia as its official submission for Best Foreign Film at the 96th Academy Awards, will be screened. This film, which blends documentary and drama, was the sole Arab contender for the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival 2023.
Competing in the festival’s In Competition section is Backstage, directed by Afef Ben Mahmoud and Khalil Benkirane. The film, a Film Clinic co-production, had its World Premiere at the 2023 Venice Film Festival’s Giornate degli Autori. Backstage follows the dance group Without Borders as they prepare to conclude their tour in Morocco, encountering a series of unfortunate events along the way. The film stars Abdallah Badis, Saleh Bakri, and Afef Ben Mahmoud.
Rounding off Film Clinic’s lineup is Animalia, written and directed by French Moroccan filmmaker Sofia Alaoui. Animalia depicts the upheaval in the life of a pregnant young lady in Morocco due to an extraterrestrial invasion. Film Clinic Indie Distribution holds the rights for the Middle East and North Africa.
