Saudi filmmaker and actress Fatima AlBanawi will moderate a panel discussion along with a number of Saudi female filmmakers on the margins of the 8th SHOWREEL (Effat Students Film Festival) (April 1–2) that will go virtual this year under the theme of ‘Towards Endless Horizons’. The panel will take place today from 6: 10 pm to 7:00 pm KSA.
SHOWREEL (Effat Students Film Festival) is held at Effat University in KSA under the Patronage of HRH Princess Lolowah Al- Faisal, Vice-Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, and General Supervisor of Effat University. The festival features The School of Cinematic Arts’ students and graduates, where they introduce their work of short, documentary and animation films, as well as a photography exhibition.
Fatima AlBanawi is a Saudi actress, director, and writer. She graduated from Effat University, where she studied psychology. Fatima was selected by Time Magazine as part of its Young Generation Leaders List (2018) for her storytelling ventures that highlight the intimate tales of life in Saudi through her project The Other Story. Fatima received international acclaim for her leading role in Barakah Meets Barakah that screened at Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) and was Saudi Arabia's official submission to the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language.
Her most recent works in 2020 include the Egyptian series Paranormal that premiered on Netflix and Shahid’s Saudi drama Al-Shak that she also co-wrote and co-directed.
Earlier in 2020, the Red Sea International Film Festival selected her feature film screenplay Basma for a joint program with Torino Film Lab to develop films. The festival also funded her short film Until We See Light as part of the collective omnibus, Becoming, which brings together films by five Saudi women directors in one feature film.
