Co-produced by MENA-based Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Egypt's Cats Films, the film is directed by Saudi filmmaker Jawaher Alamri.
Saudi short film The Last Dismissal has been selected to participate in the upcoming edition of the Hollywood ShortsFest, marking it as the only Arabic film in the festival’s lineup, according to a report by Scene Now.
Held at the historic Marilyn Monroe Theater in Los Angeles, this film festival is coming into its fourth year. The event will take place from April 19 to 21, 2024.
Exploring themes of autonomy and conformity, The Last Dismissal is Jawaher Alamari’s third short film. Her previous work, Mujalasat Elkun, premiered as part of an omnibus feature titled Becoming at the Cairo International Film Festival in 2021. Alamri had also directed the award-winning Sadeya Left Sultan and produced the Saudi short The Girls Who Burned the Night.
The Last Dismissal follows the story of a teenage girl, Aljadel (played by Rajaae), as she comes to terms with her grief around the passing of her best friend, when forced to attend an activity on ‘shrouding of the dead’ at her middle school. While watching a friend being shrouded, she is triggered into action and leads an abrupt but formative objection in an act of rebellion. The short film stars an all-Saudi cast led by Ghada Aboud, Rajaae, Aisha Al Refaey and Saada Alzahrany.
Speaking about the film’s theme recently, Norah Al Khateeb, CEO of Cats Films, said: “It was truly a privilege working with Jawaher on The Last Dismissal. An immensely beautiful story about a female protagonist who decided to shatter old community taboos, which were reflected in the corrupt school management. Jawaher has brilliantly portrayed her personal story in a way that is both profound and inspiring. The Last Dismissal was our very first Saudi film to produce but certainly not the last one.”
The Last Dismissal will be screening in several international film festivals globally throughout 2024, with Front Row also handling worldwide distribution.
