THE ALLEYS, directed by Bassel Ghandour, commercially releases in Jordan by Arab Media Network and in Saudi Arabia by Rowad Media, a production and distribution firm, as of June 9.
 
 The film will run in the following 21 theatres across the KSA:  Cinepolis Jameah Mall Jeddah, Cinepolis Al Hokair Time Mall Jazan, Empire Abha, Empire Al Khobar Cinema, Empire Andalus Mall Jeddah, Empire Grand Hail Cinema, Empire Jazan, Empire Arar, MUVI Al Ahsa Cinema, MUVI Al Haifa Cinema Jeddah, MUVI Aziz Mall Cinema Jeddah, Muvi Boulevard Cinema Riyadh, MUVI Cinema Mall of Arabia Jeddah, MUVI Mall Of Dhahran, Muvi Mujan Cinema Khamis Mushait, MUVI Nakheel Mall Riyadh, Muvi Taif City Walk Taif, MUVI The View Mall Riyadh,  MUVI U Walk Cinema Riyadh,  Muvi Yasmin Mall Jeddah and VOX Al Qasr Mall Riyadh.
 
On a parallel note, THE ALLEYS  will also screen in Jordan, in the following theatres: Grand Cinemas (City Mall) at 6:15pm, 8:30pm, 10:45pm, Prime Cinemas (Abdalli Mall) at 7pm, Prime Cinemas (Baraka Mall) at 6:15pm and Taj Cinemas (Taj Mall) at 3:15pm, 5:30pm, 7:45pm, 10:15pm (GMT +3).
 
The film just received the Audience Award and Special Mention at Sweden's Malmo Arab Film Festival, as well as the Grand Prix du Jury at the Annonay Film Festival, France. The ALLEYS was nominated for four Critics Awards for Arab Films, which were presented by Arab Cinema Center on the fringes of the 75th Cannes Film Festival.
 
THE ALLEYS was a critical success at dozens of international film festivals across Europe, including the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the BFI London Film Festival. The film also had its Arab global debut at the Red Sea International Film Festival, as well as its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival's Piazza Grande competition, when it became the festival's first Jordanian feature film to be selected.
 
It is also worth noting that the film was widely praised by critics and international websites such as 'Screen Daily,' 'Backseat Mafia,' and the well-known American magazine 'PopMatters,' as well as the British website 'The Upcoming,' and the Swiss newspaper 'Corriere Del Ticino,' among others.  “ In his latest film THE ALLEYS, Bassel Ghandour emphasizes his high abilty to apply what he learnt from watching interational and arab films. It looks like he studied well to get the highest score,” wrote Ola Al Sheikh in Raseef 22.
 
The story is set in East Amman's gossip-ridden, hazardous neighborhood, where a young hustler will go to any length to be with his hidden sweetheart, but her merciless mother will not allow it. When an extortionist catches the couple in the act, the mother seeks the assistance of a gangster to put an end to it all... but things don't go as planned.
 
The film project of THE ALLEYS received the Works in Progress Post-Production Development Award of the Eastern Promises program at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Czechia. Furthermore, it won two awards for films in post-production at the Cairo Film Connection, the co-financing platform of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) and received support from The Jordan Film Fund of the Royal Film Commission, Doha Film Institute (Qatar), and the Red Sea International Film Festival (KSA). During the development phase, the film was aided by EAVE Producers Workshop, Rawi Screenwriters lab, Dubai Film Connection, and The Sorfond Pitching Forum, which is organized by The Norwegian South Film Fund.
 
THE ALLEYS is written and directed by Bassel Ghandour and stars Emad Azmi, Baraka Rahmani, Munther Rayahneh, Maisa Abd Elhadi, Nadira Omran, and Nadim Rimawi. The film is produced by Bayt Al Shawareb (Yousef Abed Al-Nabi), The Imaginarium Films (Rula Nasser), and co-produced by Lagoonie Film Production (Shahinaz El Akkad). MAD Solutions handles the film’s distribution across the Arab World, while Elle Driver (France) handles the international sales.
 
Director Bassel Ghandour co-wrote and produced Theeb, which was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at both the Academy Awards and the BAFTAs. It also won the BAFTA award for Outstanding British Debut in 2016. The ALLEYS is his directorial debut, as well as his first screenplay.