Written by Kianna Best on May 15, 2025. Posted in General Interest

Cannes catchup with Film AlUla

Saudi film at Cannes is nothing new, from an inaugural official selection last year to an unrivalled pavilion presence. Backdropped by the seaside surrounding, I spoke with acting executive director Zaid Shaker about Film AlUla’s presence in the Saudi filmscape, the international projects coming to their doorstep, and how their studio situation is setting them apart from the rest in the region.

 

 

Following last year’s Cannes official selection of Norah, directed by Tawfik Alzaidi, AlUla’s spotlight has yet to cool. With more than 85 projects shot, ranging from feature films to unscripted TV, the northwestern Saudi city is a unique contributor to the region’ creative prowess.

 

“This year, our crown jewel is the studio,” expresses Shaker. “We’ve recently announced our partnership with MBS (Miami Beach) Studios group who will be operating our facilities. So right now we are fin tuning the mobilisation to welcome the first feature film production.”

 

The Middle East is the destination for the otherworldly locations suited for futuristic flare, from Jordan’s Wadi Rum desert featured in John Wick 4, to the Liwa oasis of Abu Dhabi in Dune: part one. Amongst these, AlUla continues to prove itself, home to a breadth of locations, from the wind carved mountains to mysterious valleys.

 

And having their fair share of international projects has not been too bad either. With Gerard Butler starrer Kandahar and Russo Brothers helmed Cherry all shooting on location, down to recent K-Pops project from award-winning musician Anderson .Paak, AlUla is garnering international traction year after year.

 

 

Shaker adds: “We have these bespoke locations, but then enveloping this with state of the art facilities, which include two sound stages of 25,828 sq ft, and a whole dedicated creative cluster with a musical recording studio which can accommodate a full orchestra, it’s just an invitation to come create and share your stories.”

 

With a driving focus towards creating a “sustainable film ecosystem”, Shaker speaks on the necessity for the key pillars established by Film AlUla in their approach to the industry: infrastructure, local crews and community, cinema culture and access to finance. For the latter, the city operates their rebate and incentives under the umbrella of the Saudi Film Commission, but have spearheaded their own collaborations, such as the Red Sea Film Fund partnership offering grants for filmmakers in the MENA region.

 

“When you have the local crew, you can cut down on your costs, so essentially our approach for only visiting production is to incentivise them based on how they can engage, interact with and train local crews,” comments Shaker.

 

From futuristic landscapes to urban dwellings, AlUla’s locations are just an ingredient to the full offerings of their local screen industry. With another year at Cannes under their belt, Film AlUla are aiming for more screenings at Cannes in the years to come, included amongst a slate of projects in their pipeline, and scaling up to further accommodate local and indie projects.

 

Images courtesy of Zaynah Javed