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Saudi Film Forum: Cinema Beyond the Screen

The forum’s first session hosted Prince Turki Al-Faisal.
The forum’s first session hosted Prince Turki Al-Faisal.
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Saudi Film Forum: Cinema Beyond the Screen

The forum’s first session hosted Prince Turki Al-Faisal.
The forum’s first session hosted Prince Turki Al-Faisal.

“Where cinema transcends the screen,” marked the opening of the Saudi Film Forum, which began on Wednesday evening in Riyadh.
The event attracted a large audience of filmmakers from around the globe, including American actor and producer Will Smith, this year’s special guest.
During the opening, Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan said : “Through the Saudi Film Forum, we are starting a new era that goes beyond creativity... toward a fully integrated film industry that connects us culturally and economically with the world.”
The first session featured Prince Turki Al-Faisal, Chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, who spoke about the important role of films in bridging cultures.
He recalled how, nearly 50 years ago, the introduction of film on television helped Saudi society connect with the world and allowed others to understand Saudi culture.
Prince Turki Al-Faisal’s Experience
During the session, moderator Faisal Abbas, Editor-in-Chief of Arab News, asked Prince Turki, “If you had a magic wand to choose a film about the Kingdom to produce, what would it be?”
The prince replied : “That’s a tough question. From my experience in producing films, some have had a significant impact on how people view the Kingdom and Islam, as well as what Saudi Arabia represents.”
He recalled the first Saudi-funded film, made nearly 20 years ago about the Arab historian Ibn Battuta, which was similar to a documentary. He noted that another film about the Hajj was produced that same year, and both were shown worldwide.
“My favorite film is ‘Born a King,’ which I co-produced,” Prince Turki shared.
“It tells the story of King Faisal's first journey abroad at age 13, commissioned by King Abdulaziz. I believe it was one of the first narrative films shot in the Kingdom with Saudi actors,” he added.
On Arab cinema, he said : “Many Arab films I've seen tend to be quite gloomy in terms of visuals and storytelling, which makes me reluctant to watch them.”
He stressed that films should aim to bring joy to viewers rather than leave them feeling sad or distressed.

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Varieties

Skydiving Plane Crash Kills 11 in France

Emergency services at the scene of the crash near Nancy in north-eastern France. Photograph: Christian Hartmann/Reuters
Emergency services at the scene of the crash near Nancy in north-eastern France. Photograph: Christian Hartmann/Reuters
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Skydiving Plane Crash Kills 11 in France

Emergency services at the scene of the crash near Nancy in north-eastern France. Photograph: Christian Hartmann/Reuters
Emergency services at the scene of the crash near Nancy in north-eastern France. Photograph: Christian Hartmann/Reuters

A skydiving plane crashed Sunday in eastern France, killing all 11 people on board, local authorities said, in one of the country's deadliest ever light aircraft accidents.

The crash in the town of Tomblaine killed five instructors, five students, and the pilot, said Yves Seguy, the prefect of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department.

The students were a group of nurses, according to a source close to the case and confirmed by the head of Meurthe-et-Moselle's nursing council, Thierry Pechey.

"They were colleagues who had decided to go on a first skydiving jump, no doubt to unwind, as we're going through a difficult time with the heatwave," he said.

Mayor of the nearby city of Nancy, Mathieu Klein, said the victims "died in full view of their loved ones, who were preparing to film the tandem skydives".

Medical and psychological support teams were caring for relatives of the victims who were present, as well as other witnesses, according to local authorities.

The aircraft, registered in Germany, crashed in a grassy area near the runway of the Nancy-Essey aerodrome, close to a residential area and two roads, an AFP journalist reported.

"It's tragic, but it could have been even worse," said Klein, noting the plane crashed "just a few metres from homes".

Tomblaine mayor Herve Feron said the plane fell "in a completely unexplained manner ...during the ascent", describing it as crashing "straight down".

The aircraft had been "chartered for the occasion, for the skydiving weekend, as is regularly done", he added.

The cause of the incident was not immediately clear and a technical investigation had been opened, said Amaury Lacote, deputy public prosecutor in the eastern city of Nancy.

Police urged people on the social media platform X to "strictly avoid" the area around the airport to allow emergency services access.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez and Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot are expected to visit the scene of the accident later this afternoon.

Varieties

King Saud University Medical City Performs World’s First Cochlear Implant Procedure Using Autonomous Navigation

Consultant Otolaryngologist at King Saud University Medical City Dr. Farid Alzahrani explained that autonomous navigation is among the latest technologies supporting cochlear implant procedures - SPA
Consultant Otolaryngologist at King Saud University Medical City Dr. Farid Alzahrani explained that autonomous navigation is among the latest technologies supporting cochlear implant procedures - SPA
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King Saud University Medical City Performs World’s First Cochlear Implant Procedure Using Autonomous Navigation

Consultant Otolaryngologist at King Saud University Medical City Dr. Farid Alzahrani explained that autonomous navigation is among the latest technologies supporting cochlear implant procedures - SPA
Consultant Otolaryngologist at King Saud University Medical City Dr. Farid Alzahrani explained that autonomous navigation is among the latest technologies supporting cochlear implant procedures - SPA

A surgical team at King Abdullah Ear Specialist Center at King Saud University Medical City performed the world's first cochlear implant procedure using autonomous navigation technology, marking a significant advancement in hearing restoration surgery.

Consultant Otolaryngologist at King Saud University Medical City Dr. Farid Alzahrani explained that autonomous navigation is among the latest technologies supporting cochlear implant procedures, SPA reported.

It enables surgeons to achieve a precise and consistent electrode insertion pathway, helping improve hearing outcomes.

He noted that the procedure begins with the development of a detailed surgical plan based on medical imaging and the physiological responses expected during electrode insertion into the cochlea. The technology then guides the electrode along the predetermined path with a high degree of accuracy, enhancing surgical precision and consistency.

Alzahrani added that King Abdullah Ear Specialist Center is among the first centers worldwide to adopt this pioneering technology.

Varieties

Australia Toughens Kids' Social Media Ban

FILE - Three boys use their phones while sitting outside a school in Sydney, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)
FILE - Three boys use their phones while sitting outside a school in Sydney, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)
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Australia Toughens Kids' Social Media Ban

FILE - Three boys use their phones while sitting outside a school in Sydney, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)
FILE - Three boys use their phones while sitting outside a school in Sydney, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft, File)

Australia said on Saturday it would double the maximum penalty it can impose on tech firms that fail to uphold a ground-breaking social media ban for children, as evidence mounts that the ban has had little effect on teen use.

The government will also strengthen the information-gathering powers of its internet regulator, the eSafety Commissioner, allowing it to compel social media companies to provide evidence of what they have done to stop under-16s from getting an account.

Under the changes, the maximum penalty for systematic failures to uphold the ban jumps to A$99 million ($68 million) from A$49.5 million, Reuters reported.

The government reiterated that eSafety is actively investigating the possible non-compliance of five platforms: Meta's Instagram and Facebook, Google's YouTube, Snap's Snapchat and TikTok.

Google, Meta, Snap and TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment about Australia's plans outside regular business hours.

Australia's six-month-old ban is being closely watched by many nations ⁠seeking to emulate ⁠it due to concerns about the impact of social media on youth mental and physical health. Britain this month said it planned restrictions that go further as gaming and live-streaming platforms will also be affected.

"I'm heartened by the shift in conversation and the global momentum we’ve seen since introducing the social media minimum age, but it’s clear big tech are not doing enough to comply with the law – there are still too many children on social media," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement.

The statement said that since the ban has been put in place, more than 5 million under-16 accounts have been deactivated ⁠or restricted.

But numerous studies have also shown that age-assurance mechanisms, such as taking a selfie, which have been put in place by tech companies, are easily circumvented by children and that in many cases, the children have never been asked to prove their age.

Among Sydney's grownups, Penny Lilley said on Sunday she doubted stiffer penalties would prompt improvements from platforms "when they make so much money as well off of people being on their websites.”

Another Sydneysider, Zara Keats, told Reuters she felt platforms "haven't really done as much as they said they were going to" in upholding the ban.

"I have family who are still using it actively, and I have to sort of sit there and pretend like it's not illegal for them to do so," Keats said.

According to a study published in the British Medical Journal on Wednesday that looked at 408 adolescents, 85% of Australians aged 12 to 15 were still using social media three months after the ban took effect. ⁠Two-thirds of underage users stayed online ⁠by self-declaring an age over 16 or posting a selfie that the platform accepted as over 16, it said.

In April, an industry body representing tech suppliers blamed problems enforcing the ban on social media platforms' weak deployment of tools available to run age checks rather than the limits of the technology.

"Based on the regular updates I receive from the eSafety Commissioner, it is clear to me that social media platforms are adopting tricks straight out of the big tech playbook and doing the bare minimum to get by," Minister for Communications Anika Wells said in the statement.

In addition to empowering the regulator to demand information from the social media platforms, planned updates to the law will also allow it to gather information from third parties such as age-assurance or app store providers to assist in testing claims made by the platforms.

A spokesperson for the prime minister said the timing of introducing the amendments to the law to parliament had not yet been decided, but the government would have more to say on the matter soon.

Message board website Reddit is separately challenging the ban in Australia's highest court, seeking to overturn it on free speech grounds. The government has said it will defend against the lawsuit.