Category: Entertainment

Riyadh: The General Entertainment Authority (GEA) has issued the Eid Al-Fitr Events 2024 Booklet, featuring a wide range of activities such as fireworks displays, music concerts, theatrical performances, and more. The events are set to take place in various regions of the Kingdom.

The booklet is available for viewing and downloading through the following link: https://t.co/NjW38iuUYz.

To celebrate Eid, fireworks will light up the sky in the Kingdom’s regions at 9 pm every evening, beginning on the first day of Eid Al-Fitr, to mark the joyous occasion.

A series of theatrical performances featuring Arab actors will be showcased. On April 14, the Mohammed Alali Theater in Riyadh will present the play “The Neighbor”, while Jeddah will host the play “The Red Box” at the Batterjee Medical College Theater, on April 13. Meanwhile, the Alasala Colleges Theater in Dammam will host on April 14 the play “Ors Aljen”.

The Eid events will also include eight music concerts held in different cities of the Kingdom.

As par
t of the Eid festivities, Boulevard City and Boulevard World will be open from 4 pm to 2 am and 1 am, respectively, offering a delightful experience throughout the Eid period. The Via Riyadh area will be open to visitors from 8 pm to 3 am.

Meanwhile, Jeddah is hosting the “Eid Destination” event at Jeddah Promenade for 10 days. This event features distinctive folk shows, musical concerts, entertaining performances, and interactive activities.

GEA said the theme for Eid Al-Fitr this year is “Your Eid Is among Your Family and Loved Ones”. The theme reflects GEA’s efforts to foster communication and spread happiness among Saudi residents and visitors.

This Eid theme captures the essence of the celebration and the joy shared by individuals, families, and even businesses. It is designed to appeal to a wide range of tastes and age groups, ensuring an inclusive Eid experience for everyone

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Syria participated in the 39th edition of the Alexandria Film Festival for Mediterranean Countries through the short feature film Laila’s Passion and the Nobleman (Shaghaf Laila and Al-Shahm) directed by Khaled Othman.

The film is produced by the National Film Organization tell the story of the life of a family in which the fates of the characters struggle between the selfishness of the husband and the ambition of the wife, and their daughter pays the price.

A total of 120 films from 25 countries will participates in the festival which kicked off today until October 5th.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

The Omani documentary “Al Zeeg”, directed by Salah Al Hadhrami, is taking part in the Kerdada African Short and Documentary Film Festival, held in Algeria from 30 September to 2 October 2023.

The Omani documentary was short-listed alongside 35 films from 12 countries.

Al Zeeg, produced by Oman Film and Theater Society, showcases in a theatrical way the relationship between Omani people and the cultivation and production of Omani sugarcane. It also touches on humanitarian, economic and social aspects related to this profession.

The documentary bagged several awards in local, Arabic and international festivals

Source: Oman News Agency

The Ministry of Culture has actively participated in the opening ceremony of the “BIENALSUR 2023”, the International Biennial of Contemporary Art of the South, at the National Museum of Decorative Arts in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The event was held under the theme “Strangers in the Palace”. Notable attendees included the Cultural Affairs Officer at the Kingdom’s Embassy to Argentina, Khaled bin Ibrahim Al-Laheeb, the general director of the BIENALSUR exhibition, Aníbal Jozami, a delegation from the Ministry of Culture, as well as numerous Saudi and international artists who were showcasing their artworks.

During the opening, the Artistic Director of BIENALSUR, Diana Wechsler, expressed admiration for the Kingdom’s pioneering role as the first Middle Eastern country to join the BIENALSUR network. She emphasized that collaborating with Saudi artists offered an excellent opportunity to explore diversity, cultural pluralism, and human exchange.

Wechsler elaborated on the essence of the chosen theme, “Strangers in the Palace”, which highlights the contrast between the contemporary nature of the artworks presented by the artists and the traditional surroundings of the host venue, the National Museum of Decorative Arts. Being housed in a historical palace filled with classical collections and works of art, the museum reflects its historical significance. The theme symbolizes the sense of “alienation” experienced by Saudi artists who have traveled from outside of Argentina to showcase their work, thereby fostering cultural and human exchange through art.

The BIENALSUR 2023, which commenced on Friday, July 28, showcases the artworks of over 400 artists from 27 nationalities, including ten talented Saudi artists.

During the exhibition’s run, Saudi Arabia will serve as one of the international stations for BIENALSUR from July to December 2023. This extensive event spans 170 locations across 70 cities, encompassing 27 countries and featuring the participation of 400 artists.

This marks the Ministry of Culture’s third time hosting the prestigious BIENALSUR exhibition. The Kingdom had the honour of being the first Middle Eastern country to host the event in 2019 at the National Museum of Saudi Arabia and the Jax neighbourhood in Riyadh. The second time was in 2021 at the Khuzam Palace in Jeddah, where five Saudi artists were featured.

The Ministry’s decision to host this exhibition stems from its dedication to providing top-notch creative platforms for art enthusiasts in the Kingdom. It aims to foster communication between Saudi creators and artists worldwide while supporting their access to important international platforms. Furthermore, this endeavour aligns with Saudi Vision 2030’s strategic goals of promoting international cultural exchange.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Syrian narrative film, Youssef (José’s Journey) won the Best screenplay Award in the Narrative Competition at the fourth edition of the Casablanca Arab Film Festival.

The film “Youssef’s Journey” directed by Joud Saíd, competed with 13 films, and tells the journey of a grandfather carrying his grandson in search of a lost hope for a better life.

The aforementioned festival, organized by Imtidad Association for the Culture and Development of Morocco, began on June 16.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

The Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) has honored the Minister of Information, Dr. Boutros Hallaq.

That came during the opening of the 23rd Arab Radio and TV Festival, which is currently being held in Tunisia, under the title “Arts and Culture Unite Us”

The festival will continue its activities till June 15th and it is being held in cooperation with the Tunisian Ministry of Culture, the Tunisian radio and television institutions, and the Arab Satellite Communications Organization “Arabsat.”

The event aims to contribute to the development of Arab radio and television production and raise its level in a way that meets the aspirations of the member organizations and the principles for which they work.

It also aims to monitor innovative and serious trends in Arab radio and television production and encourage them in order to develop Arab creative energies in this field.

The festival included a musical evening presented by the Tunisian musician, Mohamed Ali Kammoun, entitled “Arab Perfumes”.

A bunch of elite Arab, artists, directors, senior officials, and distinguished media professionals in the Arab arena were also honored during the festival.

The festival’s activities include holding various television and radio competitions.

The Syrian General Authority for Radio and Television, the General Organization for Radio and Television Production, and Syrian drama production companies are also participating in the exhibition, which is being held within the activities of the festival.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

Director Najdat Anzour participated in the opening ceremony of the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival along with several international stars.

Anzour told SANA reporter that the participation in international film events would pave the way for strong relations between film festivals, and open prospects for cooperation and artistic cultural exchange.

“The participation of (Blood of the Palm Trees) film in the official competition of Golden Panda International Film Festival is a significant opportunity for the world to recognize how the Syrians confront all kinds of oppression, violations, stealing and terrorism they are exposed ,” he noted.

“Blood of the Palm Trees” film produced by the National Film Organization narrates the last days of the archeologist Khaled al-Asaad, director of Palmyra Antiquities who faced Daesh (ISIS) terrorists and refused to hand them maps of archaeological places of the city.

The film illustrated the ancient city of Palmyra, which has been sabotaged by Daesh terrorists who attempt to loot its antiquities , and hailed the sacrifices of the Syrian Arab Army who cleared the city from terrorism.

The 25th Shanghai International Film Festival is being held from June 9 and 18, including 53 films of feature films, animations, documentaries, and short film.

Many countries participate in the festival including: Russia, Belgium, Britain, India, Spain, Italy? Iran, Japan and the host country China.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

The activities of the 8th Festival of Embassies – Food & Culture 2023 began in Prague on Saturday with participation of Syria.

The festival is organized by Prague and foreign embassies and consulates accredited in the Czech Republic under the slogan “Culture and food unite peoples”.

It is an event presenting the culture and gastronomy of countries around the world.

The Syrian Embassy stand at the festival presents the cultural on Syria, including the textile and food industries, tourist and heritage places in addition to food dishes and sweets which are well known in Syria.

Embassies of 52 countries, including several Arab countries, took part in the festival.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

National Film Organization is participating in the official competition of International Festival of Independent Cinema Casablanca (FICIC) in its 2nd session, through narrative film “The Road” by director Abdellatif Abdelhamid. The festival will start on Friday, and is hosted by Casablanca, Morocco.

The film, will compete with 12 films from 16 Arab and foreign countries.

The film depicts a simple rural scene whose characters belong to their environment, which is colored by warm life details that bear their hopes and disappointments as a result of the storms of life.

The main hero of its events is child Saleh and his suffering as a result of being accused of stupidity by everyone around him, but his grandfather who bears the same name took it upon himself to transform the child’s cognitive stupidity to cognitive and aesthetic intelligence.

The film won three awards at Carthage Film Festival.

Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

Radio of the Sultanate of Oman won first prize in the Arab Music and Song Contest’s 14th round dedicated to music tracks. Oman bagged first prize for its leading music track codenamed “Wahaj” (glow).

In the song contest, Oman won second prize for its song titled “Aynak” (your eyes), which evolved around the theme of beauty.

This was announced at the 30th meeting of the Arab Broadcasting Union’s standing committee, held via videoconferencing and attended by Yousuf Humaid Al Yousufi, Director General of Radio Broadcasting.

The contest was held at the headquarters of the Arab Broadcasting Union in Tunis during the period from 9 May to 11 May 2023.

Source: Oman News Agency

The National Council for Arts convened under the presidency of its Chairman Shaikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa.

Shaikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa praised the artistic movement in the Kingdom of Bahrain thanks to the support of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. He expressed thanks and appreciation to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for patronizing the opening ceremony of the 49th edition of Bahrain Annual Fine Arts Exhibition. He praised the distinguished collection of artworks made by Bahraini fine artists, which were displayed in the exhibition.

The Chairman of the National Council for Arts commended the government’s support, which helped develop the artists’ skills and boost their creativity. He pointed out that the next edition of the exhibition will display artistic works that reflect the richness of the Bahraini artistic production and epitomize the civilizational and cultural image of the kingdom of Bahrain.

Minutes of the previous meeting were approved after discussion. Then, the council spotlighted the future plan for “Art for Peace” function. A briefing was given by the committee in charge of the event, stressing the role of the council in coordinating between the organisers and the competent parties.

The meeting also spotlighted the outcome of the meetings between the committee assigned by the council and the media department at the Ministry of Information regarding the “intellectual property rights”.

The National Council for Arts Chairman affirmed the Bahraini artists’ pride in their national identity and inherent heritage, describing it as the catalyst of creativity. He pointed out the significance of participating in Japan Expo 2025 by motivating artists to take part with an artistic work that showcases their innovative capabilities.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

The Art Centre of Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) will witness tomorrow Wednesday, at 7:00 pm, the opening of the personal exhibition of artist Ahmed Anan.

Themed “Shirt of Absence”, the exhibition is a tribute to artist Anan for clinching second place in the 48th edition of Bahrain Annual Fine Arts Exhibition last year.

The exhibition will be open to visitors daily, until June 17, from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm. Artist Ahmed Anan will be displaying a collection of artworks including drawings on canvas and paper as well as bronze sculptures. The exhibition reflects the ordeal of loss that a person can go through as well as the personal experience that the artist himself went through.

Born in Manama, in 1968, Ahmed Anan is a Bahraini fine artist who gained his artistic experience through personal effort and direct contact with prominent artists in the region and the world in the fields of painting, photography, sculpture, printmaking and collage arts. He was honored many times and has many participations in exhibitions inside Bahrain and beyond.

Source: Bahrain News Agency