Young Saudi filmmakers’ works to be aired on TV

RIYADH: Movies produced by young and amateur Saudi filmmakers will be shown on Saudi Television starting in the middle of next week.
“The films will be shown daily to encourage young Saudi filmmakers,” said Abdulaziz Fahad Al-Eid, senior broadcaster at Saudi TV and general supervisor of Cultural TV channel. He added that if they get support for the screenings, they could scale great heights in filmmaking and make a name for themselves.
Al-Eid said that he met some of these young Saudi filmmakers five years ago in Dubai when they were participating in filmmaking, and some of them won regional and international awards.
“When I took over the cultural show at Saudi Television, I already knew their capabilities as filmmakers. I also knew that their films had sophisticated ideas,” he said.
Al-Eid also expressed appreciation for those who supported and encouraged the young filmmakers, and said that filmmaking is a huge project and needs a big capital.
Meanwhile, Abdullah Al-Misnad, a geography professor at Qassim University where students also produce films, said, “I agree with Abdulaziz Fahad Al-Eid on the importance of cinema as a media product, and that there’s a need to pump more funds to support it.”
However, he added that filmmaking should be carried out by professionals who are good in promoting their craft.