The event will host a screening and two dedicated panels with Italian guests in attendance.
The Italian Embassy to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has participated as a partner in the first-ever European Film Festival to be hosted in Riyadh.
The event is a close collaboration between the Delegation of the European Union and Arabia Pictures Group, which is taking place simultaneously with Fare Cinema.
Fare Cinema is organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy and the network of Italian Embassies, Consulates and Cultural Institutes, in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Culture, ANICA, Agenzia ICE, Cinecittà, Italy for Movies, Italian Film Commissions, the Academy of Italian Cinema – David di Donatello Awards and La Biennale di Venezia.
Speaking about the event, Roberto Cantone, Italian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said: “We are pleased to see that the thriving film industry in the Kingdom is opening up new possibilities for Italian cinema to be enjoyed by the ever-growing public of Saudi film enthusiasts. We strongly believe in culture as a means to bring nations and peoples together: through Fare Cinema we aim to showcase in Riyadh, as part of the European Film Festival, the multi-faceted ways in which Italian cinema excels worldwide. I am sure that this will lead to new heights in Italian-Saudi cultural cooperation.”
Roua Almadani, CEO of Arabia Pictures Group, added: “We’re very honoured to participate in the celebration of Italian Cinema here in Riyadh, and create a cultural exchange between the two countries. We are thrilled to closely work with Green Film and the Trentino Film Commission to pave the way for an eco-friendly industry. In the future, we will also run retrospectives of acclaimed Italian filmmakers in the near future.”
The European Film Festival will feature My Brother Chases Dinosaurs by Italian director Stefano Cipani. During the event, Italian screenwriter and artist Giacomo Mazzariol will also run a workshop with young Saudi Talents. Alberto Battocchi, Trentino’s Film Commissioner, will participate in a panel dedicated to the Green Film Initiative.
The festival will run until June 22, 2022.
