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Red Sea Film Foundation Partners with Diriyah Biennale to Present 'Cinema Nights'

Red Sea Film Foundation Partners with Diriyah Biennale to Present 'Cinema Nights'
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Red Sea Film Foundation Partners with Diriyah Biennale to Present 'Cinema Nights'

Red Sea Film Foundation Partners with Diriyah Biennale to Present 'Cinema Nights'

The Red Sea Film Foundation announced on Wednesday that it will partner with the Diriyah Biennale Foundation to launch the “Cinema Nights” series that will be held on the sidelines of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale 2024 in the JAX District in Diriyah from March 7 to May 23.

This partnership aims to enrich the cinematic and cultural landscape by providing a platform for dialogue through a series of exclusive screenings of local and international films and discussions with filmmakers, "offering a unique opportunity for art and culture enthusiasts to dive into captivating narrative worlds and explore unique cinematic horizons," the Red Sea Film Foundation said in a statement.

The “Cinema Nights” program will present a selected series of exclusive film screenings, including the Saudi film “Hajjan,” by director Abu Bakr Shawky, which tells the story of a boy named Omar and his relationship with his camel “Haffara” that develops over the days. The film highlights a collection of intricately designed scenes against the backdrop of Saudi Arabia’s expansive deserts, starring several stars such as Azzam Namr, Abdulmohsen Alnemer, and rising talent Omar Atawi.

Visitors can watch the anticipated Saudi film “Noura” by Saudi director and writer Tawfiq Al-Zaidi, starring Saudi Arabia’s Yaqoub Alfarhan, and the esteemed Abdullah Al-Sadhan in his first big-screen appearance.

The event will also host a series of international cinematic screenings, including the Japanese film “Evil Does Not Exist” and “Behind the Mountains” by Tunisian director Mohamed Ben Attia, along with many international and local short films.

Red Sea Film Foundation CEO Mohammed Al Turki said: “We are proud of this partnership with the Diriyah Biennale Foundation, which reflects our dedication at the Red Sea Film Foundation to enriching the cultural and cinematic scene in the Kingdom. It also highlights our continuous commitment to fostering partnerships with cultural entities that align with our shared objectives."

He added: “Cinema Nights is not just a cinematic event, but also a cultural platform that celebrates storytelling and creativity and enhances the cultural exchange between peoples.”

Diriyah Biennale Foundation CEO Aya Al-Bakree said: “We are excited to partner with the Red Sea Film Foundation to offer a rich cinematic experience to our visitors. We strongly believe in the role that film plays in highlighting unique stories and igniting new dialogue between different cultures and generations.”

“Through our second edition of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale we aim to create a thought-provoking, immersive, and multi-sensory cultural journey for visitors of all ages and backgrounds, and we believe our collaboration with the Red Sea Film Foundation is an important step in achieving that goal,” she added.

The program offers a curated selection of ten feature films every Thursday from March 7 to May 23. Furthermore, local and international short films will be shown on May 10 and 11 at the Diriyah Biennale Foundation in Riyadh, providing visitors with an immersive cinematic experience using the latest sound and image technologies. Arabic and English subtitles are available for all the scheduled film screenings.

“This partnership between the Red Sea Film Foundation and the Diriyah Biennale Foundation reflects a shared commitment to enhancing the cultural and cinematic landscape in the Kingdom, and to fostering artistic and creative expression through platforms that attract promising artistic and cinematic talents," said the statement.

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A Timeline of the Rise and Fall of Sean 'Diddy' Combs 

Rapper P. Diddy arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, Beverly Hills, California, US, March 4, 2018. (Reuters)
Rapper P. Diddy arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, Beverly Hills, California, US, March 4, 2018. (Reuters)
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A Timeline of the Rise and Fall of Sean 'Diddy' Combs 

Rapper P. Diddy arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, Beverly Hills, California, US, March 4, 2018. (Reuters)
Rapper P. Diddy arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, Beverly Hills, California, US, March 4, 2018. (Reuters)

For more than two decades, Sean “Diddy” Combs was one of hip-hop's most opportunistic entrepreneurs, spinning his hitmaking talents into a broad business empire that included a record label, a fashion brand, a TV network, deals with companies and a key role in a reality TV show.

But US prosecutors say behind the scenes, Combs was coercing and abusing women with assistance from a network of associates who helped silence victims through blackmail and violence.

Combs has pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations. Opening statements in his trial are expected Monday.

Here is a timeline of major events in his rise and fall:

1990: Combs, then a student at Howard University, gets his start in the music business with an internship at Uptown Records in New York.

Dec. 28, 1991: Nine people die at a celebrity basketball game promoted by Combs and the rapper Heavy D when thousands of fans try to get into a gym at the City College of New York. A mayoral report lays part of the blame for the catastrophe on poor planning by Combs.

1992: Combs is one of the executive producers on “What's the 411?”, the debut album by Mary J. Blige.

1993: After being fired by Uptown, Combs establishes his own label, Bad Boy, which quickly cuts a lucrative deal with Arista Records.

1994: Bad Boy releases Notorious B.I.G.'s album “Ready to Die.” Two months later, Tupac Shakur survives a shooting in New York and accuses Combs and Biggie of having prior knowledge of the attack, which they deny. Shakur was later killed in a 1996 shooting in Las Vegas.

1996: Combs is convicted of criminal mischief after he allegedly threatened a photographer with a gun.

1997: Biggie is killed in Los Angeles. Combs, then known as Puff Daddy, releases “I'll be Missing You” in honor of his slain star.

1998: Combs wins two Grammys, one for best rap album for his debut “No Way Out” and another for best rap performance by a duo or group for “I'll Be Missing You” with Faith Evans. Also that year, Combs' Sean John fashion line is founded.

April 16, 1999: Combs and his bodyguards are charged with attacking Interscope Records music executive Steve Stoute in his New York office in a dispute over a music video. Combs is sentenced to an anger management course.

Dec. 27, 1999: Combs is arrested on gun possession charges after he and his girlfriend at the time, Jennifer Lopez, fled a shooting that wounded three people at a New York City nightclub. Some witnesses tell police Combs was among the people shooting in the club. He is later charged with offering his driver $50,000 to claim ownership of the 9 mm handgun found in his car.

March 17, 2001: Combs is acquitted of all charges related to the nightclub shooting. One of his rap proteges, Jamal “Shyne” Barrows, is convicted in the shooting and serves nearly nine years in prison. Two weeks after the trial, Combs announces he wants to be known as P. Diddy.

2002: Combs becomes the producer and star of “Making the Band,” a talent search TV show.

Feb. 1, 2004: Combs performs at the Super Bowl halftime show along with Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake and others. A week later, Combs, Nelly and Murphy Lee win a Grammy for best rap performance by a duo or group for “Shake Ya Tailfeather.”

April 2004: Combs makes his Broadway acting debut in “A Raisin in the Sun.”

2005: Combs announces he is changing his stage name to Diddy, getting rid of the P.

March 2008: Combs settles a lawsuit brought by a man who claims Combs punched him after a post-Oscar party outside a Hollywood hotel the previous year. In May, Combs is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2015: Combs is arrested after a confrontation on the campus of UCLA, where one of his sons played football. Assault charges are later dropped.

2016: Combs launches a Harlem charter school, the Capital Preparatory School. Also that year, he announces he is donating $1 million to Howard University.

2017: Combs is named the top earner on Forbes' list of the 100 highest-paid celebrities, which says he brought in $130 million in a single year.

2018: Kim Porter, Combs' former girlfriend and the mother of three of his children, dies from pneumonia at age 47.

2022: Combs receives a lifetime honor at the BET Awards.

Sept. 15, 2023: Combs releases “The Love Album — Off the Grid,” his first solo studio project since 2006's chart-topping “Press Play.”

Nov. 16, 2023: R&B singer Cassie sues Combs, alleging he subjected her to years of abuse, including beatings and rape. A day later, the lawsuit is settled under undisclosed terms. Combs, through his attorney, denies the accusations.

Nov. 23, 2023: Two more women accuse Combs of sexual abuse in lawsuits. Combs' attorneys call the allegations false. Dozens of additional lawsuits follow by women and men who accuse Combs of rape, sexual assault and other attacks. Plaintiffs include singer Dawn Richard, a “Making the Band” contestant who alleged years of psychological and physical abuse. Combs denies all the allegations.

March 25, 2024: Federal agents search Combs' homes in Los Angeles and Miami Beach, Florida.

May 17, 2024: CNN airs video that shows Combs attacking and beating Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016. Two days later, Combs posts videos on social media apologizing for the assault.

Sept. 16, 2024: Combs is arrested at his Manhattan hotel. A sex trafficking and racketeering indictment unsealed the next day accuses him of using his business empire to coerce women into participating in sexual performances. Combs denies the allegations. His attorney calls it an unjust prosecution of an “imperfect person.”

May 5, 2025: Jury selection began for Combs' trial.