Roll’em by director Abdulelah Alqurashi will screen within the events of the upcoming edition of the Liverpool Arab Arts Film Festival (July 16-November 14), which will be held online due to restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The film will screen on the Eventive platform from Aug.12 to Aug.15 and will be limited to audiences inside the UK.
To get the tickets, check the following link:
www.arabartsfestival.com/events/roll-em/
Founded in 1998, Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF) is the UK’s longest running and most successful annual Arab arts and cultural festival, showcasing works by the best UK and international Arab artists. The festival creates a dynamic between traditional and contemporary Arab artforms, encouraging informed debate that explores, and increases, appreciation of Arab people and their rich cultures.
Roll’em is an independent film with a Saudi cast and crew. The film has recently won the Best Film Award at the 1st Al Ain Film Festival. Roll’em marked the first Saudi film to be released in Saudi theaters. The film was released in 2019 in VOX Cinemas in Jeddah and Riyadh and was officially selected at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah in March 2020. Also, it was screened at the Aarhus Arab Film Festival and was released on Shahid.net, becoming the first Saudi film to be screened on the platform for Arab audiences.
The film tells the story of Omar Nizar, a filmmaker in his early thirties. He is trying to make a film about Jeddah, but Omar is unaware of what Jeddah means to him and the difficulties of filmmaking in the Kingdom. One day, he gets to know the 70-year-old DOP, Farid Lotfy who gave up his passion for cinematography and has become devoted to his antiques shop.
Written and directed by Abdulelah Alqurashi, and co-written by Yaser Hammad, Roll’em stars Khaled Yeslam, Shaher Al Qurashi and Sarah Taibah. MAD Solutions distributes the film across the Arab world.
Born in Jeddah, Abdulelah Alqurashi is a director and producer who moved to Los Angeles to obtain a master's degree in filmmaking. In addition to writing, producing, and directing, he worked as an actor in several films, including Zaina’s Cake by director Nada Almojadedi. Since his return from the US at the beginning of 2017, Alqurashi dedicated all his effort, time, and money to turn Roll’em from script to screen. He believes in his ability to make Saudi films for the local market and present them to the world.
