The locally-financed film will benefit from production support provided by Neom, who are assisting with crew, location scouting, logistics and on-the-ground production expertise.
Saudi filmmaker Abdulaziz Alshlahei (Zero Distance) will head to shoot his next feature film Hobal to Neom in northwest Saudi Arabia this September at Bajdah Studios and its sprawling epic landscapes.
Hobal focuses on a Saudi family living in isolation in the desert in the early 1990s. Following their grandfather’s strict instructions, they are not allowed to leave the desert. However, a series of events shakes the family’s foundation and pits them against a struggle between life and death. The film stars Mohammed Altoyan and Mishal Almutairi, along with an all-Saudi cast.
The film’s scriptwriter, Mufarrej Al-Majfel, was one of the winners and recipient of a fund award at the Saudi Film Commission’s Daw Film Competition, an initiative launched by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture in September 2019 to support Saudi film production and champion the next generation of filmmakers by establishing a sustainable funding programme to bring Saudi content to the screen and to wider audiences.
The film will benefit from production support provided by Neom who are assisting with crew, location scouting, logistics, and on-the-ground production expertise. The strategic location of Bajdah Studios offers producers the opportunity to shoot on location in the landscapes of Neom while being in close proximity to the state-of-the-art sound stages complete with back-of-house facilities comprising of make-up rooms, green rooms and production offices.
Hobal is the third feature from Alshlahei, with his second feature film, the Saudi period drama The Tambour of Retribution, securing two awards at the Cairo Film Festival and being selected as the Saudi Arabian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards in 2022.
Speaking about the film, Abdulaziz Alshlahei said: “Since 2018, we have been thinking about unique locations to shoot our film. We decided on Neom, and specifically Bajdah, where the captivating landscapes will be an influential and integral part of the narrative. Our director of photography will use anamorphic lenses to do justice to this extraordinary and majestic destination and set a beautiful atmosphere for the film. I’m excited about shooting and would like to take this opportunity to thank the Neom Media Industries team for welcoming us and supporting the film.”
Wayne Borg, Managing Director of Media Industries, Entertainment, and Culture at Neom, added: “We are thrilled to be the location of choice for Abdulaziz Alshlahei’s latest homegrown feature Hobal. We are looking forward to supporting him in every step of the way to bring his vision to the screen, in what is a very exciting time for the local industry. There is a huge appetite for compelling authentic stories from the region across a range of genres that are now transcending borders which we are proud to be a part of. Supporting the new generation of trailblazing filmmakers and talent is of strategic significance to our industry and is central to creating a film ecosystem as we cement our position as the regional gateway to the industry.”
