She walked alongside US-Dutch-Palestinian catwalk star Gigi Hadid, Russian model Natasha Poly and Senegalese-Italian media personality Khaby Lame.
This is not the first time Mardini works with the German fashion label.
In March, Mardini, whose story of fleeing her homeland alongside her sister Sarah was made into a BAFTA-nominated film by Netflix called “The Swimmers,” walked Boss’ runway in Miami.
She also starred in the brand’s digital campaign that month, which featured a long list of Arab and international stars, including DJ Khaled, Hadid, Demi Lovato, Paris Hilton and Bella Thorne.
JEDDAH: Marvel superstar Chris Hemsworth held a panel discussion during the Red Sea International Film Festival this week — and he gave fans insight on his career choices during the talk.
Moderated by director Baz Luhrmann, who is also the head of the jury for this year’s edition of the film festival, the pair discussed Hemsworth’s involvement in the upcoming “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” movie. “There’s a lot of anticipation for myself and from the fanbase that has been there for the 45 years,” Hemsworth said.
Luhrmann and Hemsworth also addressed how “Mad Max” franchise director, George Miller, was brave enough to create a fictional universe from scratch, with Hemsworth adding:
“Taking leap, doing something different, thinking outside the box. The fear and the anxiety that comes with that is something to face and overcoming that and choosing to tell a story from your perspective, to be influenced by other people but not to be directly mimicking anyone else … there’s courage to that.”
Hemsworth later shared with the audience that the escapism offered by films attracted him to the art of storytelling from a young age — he also noted that the ability to shapeshift and inhabit different characters is part of the reason he got into the film industry.
“From a very young age, whether it would be books or television films, I enjoyed the fantasy, I enjoyed the escapism, the journey that the narrative and the story would take me one,” he said.
“I think the vivid imagination of me as young kid carried through and still does now and that was the attraction to inhabit different spaces and different worlds and be taken on a journey,” he added.
Hemsworth appeared at the festival as part of the In Conversation series that has already featured the likes of US actor Will Smith, Bollywood star Katrina Kaif and Arab stars Amina Khalil and Yasmine Sabri.
Amal Clooney glitters on 2023 Fashion Awards red carpet
Updated 05 December 2023
Arab News
DUBAI: Lebanese British human rights lawyer Amal Clooney this week wore a glittering gown as she attended The Fashion Awards 2023 in London.
The 45-year-old philanthropist wore a head-turning bronze-and-gold Atelier Versace gown that was covered in circular metallic paillettes. She had her hair down and opted for voluminous waves.
For the accessories, she donned Cartier jewelry.
Ashley Roberts, who wore a Lebanese creation, attended the event in London. (AFP)
The event, which took place at London’s Royal Albert Hall, was also attended by Danish model Mona Tougaard, who is of Turkish, Somali and Ethiopian descent.
She wore a sheer white dress from Maison Alaia’s Spring/Summer 2023 ready-to-wear collection.
Meanwhile, US singer and TV presenter Ashley Roberts stepped out in a fully sequined floor-length gown from Lebanese couturier Georges Hobeika’s Fall/Winter 2023 ready-to-wear collection. The color palette of the dress ranged from deep black to vibrant shades of purple, blue and green.
The fashion event honors industry leaders and young creative talent.
Spanish luxury brand Loewe’s creative director Jonathan Anderson won the designer of the year prize, Reuters reported.
Anderson, who founded the fashion label JW Anderson, arrived accompanied by actress Taylor Russell.
Italian designer Valentino Garavani, known to the world simply as Valentino, was honored with this year’s outstanding achievement award. Founder of the eponymous brand, the 91-year-old has dressed the rich and famous, created a business empire and introduced a new color to the fashion world, the so-called “Valentino Red.”
American Paloma Elsesser was named model of the year.
The 2023 edition of the award show was hosted by British television presenter Maya Jama and musician Kojey Radical and featured a performance by singer Sam Smith.
Stars attending the event also included actors Anne Hathaway, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tessa Thompson and Pamela Anderson, model Kate Moss and race car driver Lewis Hamilton.
The show is a fundraiser for the British Fashion Council (BFC) Foundation which focuses on supporting the UK’s fashion industry.
Filmmaker Talal Almusaad talks ‘weird, psychedelic’ short film ‘Salem’s Legs’ at RSIFF
Updated 05 December 2023
Rawaa Talass
RIYADH: At just 18, Saudi filmmaker Talal Almusaad is making his cinema debut with a short film titled “Salem’s Legs” at the Red Sea International Film Festival.
Almusaad was raised in the Eastern Province city of Dhahran at a time when cinemas were nonexistent in the Kingdom. Nevertheless, he saw films, notably the “Halloween” movie franchise, during visits to Bahrain. He cites Hollywood film giants Stanley Kubrick and Quentin Tarantino as among his favorite directors.
“From childhood, all I wanted to do was tell stories,” Almusaad, who is based in Riyadh, told Arab News.
The fledgling director said that he is interested in making films about Saudi culture for non-Arab audiences, but also wants to surprise Arab audiences with “creepy and weird” plots.
“I want to make something new in Saudi cinema,” he said.
“Salem’s Legs,” which runs for just five minutes, is an Arabic-language dark comedy about two young friends, Salem and Mohammed. When the former swallows an anonymous pill and collapses, Mohammed panics and believes that his friend has died. He tries to get rid of Salem’s body by rolling it up in a carpet. Their adventures lead them to the Saudi desert.
‘Salem’s Legs,’ which runs for just five minutes, is an Arabic-language dark comedy. (Supplied)
“It’s a weird, psychedelic movie. You can even see that in our poster,” said the director of the fluorescent pop-art design.
“There is no message in the film, but that is the message: You don’t have to do a film with a message just to brag and say you’re an artist.”
The plotline was put together by scriptwriter Nawaf Alzahrani and the film features three actors, Mohammed Alajmi, Salem Alattas, and Norah Abdalaziz.
“I told the group, ‘Let’s make something we love. Don’t think about if we win or lose at the Red Sea Festival.’”
The film was shot in just 48 hours and will be screened at Vox Cinema in the Red Sea Mall on Dec. 5 and 8.
It is a surreal experience for Almusaad to showcase his work at the festival, as he only recently graduated from high school and hopes to study filmmaking abroad.
He would like to shoot one more film in his homeland, which has recently undergone a major transformation in terms of cinema access and production. At the festival alone, there are more than five Saudi feature films screening this year.
“If you told me five years ago that many filmmakers will do films in Saudi Arabia, I would not have believed that. It’s crazy,” Almusaad said.
Short animation ‘Saleeg’ heads back to Saudi Arabia after international screenings
Updated 05 December 2023
Nada Hameed
JEDDAH: With Jeddah’s Red Sea International Film Festival in full swing, Saudi Arabia’s up-and-coming talents are firmly in the spotlight.
Among the selection of Saudi films screening at the event, which runs until Dec. 9, “Saleeg,” a captivating short animation directed by Afnan Bawyan, stands out. This short masterpiece, running just shy of 10 minutes and produced in 2022, employs diverse puppetry techniques and was created in Amsterdam at 5 A.M. Studios.
“Saleeg” is showing in the “New Saudi, New Cinema: Shorts” category among the other 19 shorts from the Kingdom.
Saudi film director Afnan Bawyan expressed her excitement about screening “Saleeg” in Jeddah, the city that inspired the film’s creation. In an interview with Arab News before the screening, she anticipated a profound connection between the local audience and the narrative, given its roots in Jeddah and the west of Saudi Arabia.
“I am thrilled to participate in the Red Sea International Film Festival as it signifies the inaugural screening of my film in Jeddah, the city that inspired its creation. I am optimistic that the audience in Jeddah and the Saudi western region will perceive the film uniquely and forge a deeper connection with the narrative and characters compared to any other audience as they will be able to relate to it,” Bawyan said.
The film’s title draws inspiration from the traditional Saudi Hijazi dish saleeg, which originates in Taif in the Makkah region. In the film, 60-year-old Hajer is preparing saleeg for dinner with her son. In need of vegetables, she rushes outside when she hears the grocer’s bell, but forgets to cover the pot. Meanwhile in the kitchen, the rice has fallen into the boiling water where it has expanded, overflowed and is soon flooding through the house and out into the yard, carrying Hajer with it.
The film is a family drama with voices in a Saudi dialect of Arabic, subtitled in Urdu, Tigrigna and English, and it made its mark on the international stage with a premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France earlier this year.
The film poster for Saudi animation 'Saleeg.' Supplied
“The film has been fortunate to receive significant publicity, especially after its screening at Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France,” the director said.
“Saleeg” was also screened in the Saudi Cultural Exhibition in Paris and at the Film Criticism Conference in Riyadh and took part in more than 15 Saudi, Arab, and international film festivals.
The work discusses various issues in Saudi society, including rapid urbanization and the tension between traditional and contemporary ways of living, particularly how the elderly is affected.
Behind this film stands a director who, despite a background in chemistry, embarked on a self-taught journey into filmmaking, enhanced by attending workshops by the Saudi Film Commission.
Crafting the stop-motion film demanded over 65 days of meticulous work, she said. Bawyan’s expertise as a script supervisor for seven Saudi feature films laid the foundation for her debut as a writer and director with “Saleeg,” which was co-produced with animation writer and producer Mariam Khayat.
Looking ahead, Bawyan is working on a clutch of projects, including a new short-animated film set in her hometown, Makkah.
Heritage, landscape inspires artist at Saudi Feast Food Festival
Walaa Hosawi will be selling planters, hand-poured candles and more at her booth at the Saudi Feast Food Festival, which runs until Dec. 9
Walaa Hosawi: The idea is whenever you purchase anything from my work, you could use it for more than one purpose
Updated 05 December 2023
Sulafa Alkhunaizi
RIYADH: Saudi heritage and tradition are the inspirations behind artist Walaa Hosawi’s handcrafted decoupage art.
Hosawi will be selling planters, hand-poured candles and more at her booth at the Saudi Feast Food Festival, which runs until Dec. 9.
“I incorporate Najdi designs and textiles into my work,” Hosawi told Arab News. “The culture of our country has greatly influenced my work. It made me delve deeper into the cultures of the region and try to convey them in the form of a masterpiece. (My work) combines the authenticity of our culture, the beauty of its colors and geometric shapes, and the art of decoupage.”
After using the technique — which embellishes materials such as wood, glass and metal — to design planters, Hosawi pairs them with eco-friendly farmable pencils.
“I thought of this product for recycling, agriculture and to be environmentally friendly. After you finish using the pencil, take the upper part and plant it in the soil.” The pencils come in several varieties including parsley, basil and chili pepper.
Hosawi hand-pours her boat candles with a special personalized mixture of wax and scents, and then decorates them.
Speaking about the inspiration she finds in the Saudi landscape, she added: “I find myself greatly stimulated by nature and contemplating the landscapes of our country. This inspired me a lot and helped me produce artistic pieces.”
Hosawi also creates colorful multi-functional stands that can be used in different ways, such as a room centerpiece or perfume stand. She said: “The idea is whenever you purchase anything from my work, you could use it for more than one purpose.”
Hosawi said creating art gave her a sense of escape and tranquility: “I consider art a means that helps with health and psychological stability. Art is an outlet; it helps one find peace, calm and a sense of comfort, and that is why it is important for art to have a place in our society.”
A university course sparked Hosawi’s imagination, though she had been interested in art for some time. This also led her to explore various different media.
“I started designing fashion due to my studies in the college of textiles and sewing,” she said. “Then I delved deeper into the world of arts until I met decoupage. Here I felt I found myself and my passion began.”
Since designing her first decoupage piece — a wooden jewelry box that “still holds dear value” — Hosawi has seen her work change and develop.
She said: “All of this is thanks to God and the support I received from my country and my family to reach a better level.”
Through support from friends, family and other initiatives, Hosawi has prospered. She says such encouragement has been “the fuel that pushed me to continue producing unique artistic pieces through which I showcase the beautiful culture of my country.”
The Saudi Feast Food Festival features 13 zones that include culinary art heritage, theater, the Gourmand Awards, a children’s interactive farm and more.
