Saudi Film Commission Launches ‘Saudi Film Nights’ in Australia

The Saudi Film Commission is bringing Saudi Film Nights to the Sydney Opera House and Sofitel Melbourne on Collins on June 26-28. (SPA)
The Saudi Film Commission is bringing Saudi Film Nights to the Sydney Opera House and Sofitel Melbourne on Collins on June 26-28. (SPA)
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Saudi Film Commission Launches ‘Saudi Film Nights’ in Australia

The Saudi Film Commission is bringing Saudi Film Nights to the Sydney Opera House and Sofitel Melbourne on Collins on June 26-28. (SPA)
The Saudi Film Commission is bringing Saudi Film Nights to the Sydney Opera House and Sofitel Melbourne on Collins on June 26-28. (SPA)

The Saudi Film Commission, in partnership with Australian production company Blacksand Pictures, is bringing Saudi Film Nights to the Sydney Opera House and Sofitel Melbourne on Collins on June 26-28, the Saudi Press Agency said on Thursday.
The event is aimed at fostering collaboration between the Australian and Saudi film industries. There will be two separate screenings, each comprising two films. Audiences can enjoy "Hajjan" by director Abu Bakr Shawky, screened alongside the short film "Me & Aydarous" by director Sara Balghonaim, or watch the comedy-drama "Alhamour H.A." by director Abdulelah Alqurashi, shown with animated stop-motion short "Saleeg" from director Afnan Bawyan.
Each screening will be followed by a question-and-answer session with visiting Saudi film representatives. The events will be mainly attended by local film industry professionals.
Saudi Film Nights reflects the commission’s commitment to promoting the Kingdom’s film culture and highlighting Saudi films on an international stage. "We are also fostering collaboration between international film communities, including the Australian film industry, to exchange expertise and knowledge”, said Saudi Film Commission CEO Abdullah bin Nasser Al-Qahtani.
“The selection committee, composed of Alan Finney and Jane Jeffes, has chosen some of the best Saudi productions to present in Australia”, said Kauthar Abdulalim, the founder of Blacksand Pictures.
The event reflects the Saudi Film Commission’s unwavering dedication to fostering global partnerships and leveraging cultural exchange as a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and establishing strong relationships in global cinema for the exchange of expertise and knowledge.



Japan Urges 200,000 People to Evacuate Due to Heavy Rain

Scientists say human-driven climate change is intensifying the risk posed by heavy rains because a warmer atmosphere holds more water. (AFP)
Scientists say human-driven climate change is intensifying the risk posed by heavy rains because a warmer atmosphere holds more water. (AFP)
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Japan Urges 200,000 People to Evacuate Due to Heavy Rain

Scientists say human-driven climate change is intensifying the risk posed by heavy rains because a warmer atmosphere holds more water. (AFP)
Scientists say human-driven climate change is intensifying the risk posed by heavy rains because a warmer atmosphere holds more water. (AFP)

Nearly 200,000 people in western Japan were urged to evacuate on Saturday as authorities warned of landslides and floods, while the remnants of a tropical storm trickle over the country.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said "warm, moist air... was causing heavy rainfall with thunderstorms in western Japan" partly due to Kong-rey, which was downgraded to an extratropical low-pressure system from a typhoon.

The city of Matsuyama "issued the top-level warning, urging 189,552 residents in its 10 districts to evacuate and immediately secure safety", a city official told AFP.

While the evacuation was not mandatory, Japan's highest-level warning is typically issued when it is extremely likely that some kind of disaster has already occurred.

Forecasters warned that landslides and floods could affect western Japan on Saturday and eastern Japan on Sunday.

Due to rain, Shinkansen bullet trains were briefly suspended between Tokyo and southern Fukuoka region in the morning before resuming on a delayed schedule.

Kong-rey smashed into Taiwan on Thursday as one of the biggest storms to hit the island in decades.

It claimed at least three lives and injured 690 people, according to the National Fire Agency, which added a migrant worker death to the toll on Saturday.

The storm knocked out power to 957,061 households, 27,781 of which were still in the dark as of Saturday.

Scientists say human-driven climate change is intensifying the risk posed by heavy rains because a warmer atmosphere holds more water.