A.B. Shawky (cred: MUBI)
Alum A.B. Shawky has signed to direct Saudi-set coming-of-age tale Sea Of Sands.
According to Screendaily, the feature is a joint production between Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture, known as Ithra, and Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy, whose recent credits include Feathers, Amiraand Souad. Ithra’s head of performing arts and cinema Majed Z. Samman also takes a producer credit.
The film revolves around the relationship between a young Bedouin orphan and a camel who set off on a journey across Saudi Arabia. It is based on a screenplay by Egyptian writer Omar Shama (After The Battle) and Saudi writer Mufarrij Almajfel.
First announced during the 2021 edition of Cannes, the film starts shooting in October 2022 in various locations across Saudi Arabia, including Tabuk, AlUla and Riyadh, for a planned release in 2023.