‘Ahlam Alasr' Film Achieves Remarkable Success at Red Sea Festival Premiere

The film is produced by Tape Productions in collaboration with the Red Sea Fund, and is directed by Fares Godus, starring Sohayb Godus, Najm, Fatma AlBanawi, and Hakim Juma. SPA
The film is produced by Tape Productions in collaboration with the Red Sea Fund, and is directed by Fares Godus, starring Sohayb Godus, Najm, Fatma AlBanawi, and Hakim Juma. SPA
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‘Ahlam Alasr' Film Achieves Remarkable Success at Red Sea Festival Premiere

The film is produced by Tape Productions in collaboration with the Red Sea Fund, and is directed by Fares Godus, starring Sohayb Godus, Najm, Fatma AlBanawi, and Hakim Juma. SPA
The film is produced by Tape Productions in collaboration with the Red Sea Fund, and is directed by Fares Godus, starring Sohayb Godus, Najm, Fatma AlBanawi, and Hakim Juma. SPA

Funded by the Saudi Cultural Development Fund, the film `Ahlam Alasr' attracted audiences at its premiere at the third annual Red Sea International Film Festival. The film’s premiere tickets were sold out within five days of the festival, and the movie garnered wide acclaim from both critics and the audience.
The film tells a unique story, exploring the depths of emotions and challenges faced by individuals in their daily lives. The story revolves around a retired football player who was famous before the internet came into existence. Along with his influencer daughter, he decides to seize an opportunity for revenge against those who wronged them. Together they embark on a toxic journey.
After the success of their first film “Shams Al-Ma'arif,” the Godus brothers impressed us again with their new film “Ahlam Alasr” and excelled in the film's direction, production, and acting. Director Fares Godus showcased precision in presenting the film, skillfully transporting the audience into a world of captivating details and events. The audience was also impressed and captivated by producer and lead character Sohayb Godus’ brilliant acting performance as well as Najm’s ability to inhabit the character she is playing.

“We are delighted with the support received from the Cultural Fund to bring our story to life and create something that lives up to the standards of the Saudi film sector. We are proud of the warm reception at the Red Sea International Film Festival, and we look forward to sharing this story with more audiences worldwide,” said Director Fares.

The film “Ahlam Alasr” is funded by the Cultural Development Fund through its Cultural Projects Incentive Program. Launched two years ago in partnership with the Quality of Life Program, the fund allocated a budget of SAR181 million to provide non-recoupable financing for projects in the cultural sectors, including film, to meet the needs of the cultural sector and contribute to its development.

The film, produced by Tape Productions in collaboration with the Red Sea Fund, directed by Fares Godus and starring Sohayb Godus, Najm, Fatma AlBanawi, and Hakim Juma, is expected to continue its screenings in other international film festivals. Its local cinema release will take place sometime next year, and the Godus brothers hope to sell international distribution rights soon to further solidify the position of Saudi film on the global stage.



Oregon House Cat Died after Eating Pet Food that Tested Positive for Bird Flu

Test tubes are seen labelled "Bird Flu" in this illustration taken on Jun 10, 2024. (File photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)
Test tubes are seen labelled "Bird Flu" in this illustration taken on Jun 10, 2024. (File photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)
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Oregon House Cat Died after Eating Pet Food that Tested Positive for Bird Flu

Test tubes are seen labelled "Bird Flu" in this illustration taken on Jun 10, 2024. (File photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)
Test tubes are seen labelled "Bird Flu" in this illustration taken on Jun 10, 2024. (File photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)

An Oregon house cat died after eating pet food that tested positive for bird flu, Oregon authorities said, prompting a recall of raw frozen pet food that was sold nationwide.

Northwest Naturals, a pet food company based in Portland, Oregon, said Tuesday it had voluntarily recalled one batch of its two-pound Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food after it tested positive for the virus. The product was sold through distributors in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin, as well as Canada's British Columbia.

“We are confident that this cat contracted H5N1 by eating the Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food,” Oregon Department of Agriculture State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz said in a Tuesday news release. “This cat was strictly an indoor cat; it was not exposed to the virus in its environment, and results from the genome sequencing confirmed that the virus recovered from the raw pet food and infected cat were exact matches to each other.”

The recalled product is packaged in two-pound plastic bags with “best if used by” dates of May 21, 2026, and June 23, 2026. The company and Oregon authorities said that consumers who bought the recalled product should throw it away immediately and contact the place of purchase for a refund, The AP reported.

No human cases of bird flu have been linked to the incident, but those who were in contact with the cat are being monitored for flu symptoms, Oregon authorities said.

More than 60 people in eight states have been infected, with mostly mild illnesses, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. One person in Louisiana has been hospitalized with the nation’s first known severe illness caused by the virus, health officials said last week.

So far, the CDC has confirmed one human case of bird flu in Oregon. The person was linked to a previously reported outbreak at a commercial poultry operation and fully recovered after experiencing mild illness, according to a November news release from the Oregon Health Authority.

In late October, the US Department of Agriculture announced that a pig at a backyard farm in Oregon was found to have bird flu, marking the first detection of the virus in US swine.