Named after traditional Hijazi dish, as metaphor for a range of issues Afnan Bawyan’s first production as director was filmed in Amsterdam JEDDAH: The burgeoning Saudi filmmaking scene has been given another boost with the selection of “Saleeg” for screening at June’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @arabnews.lifestyle The annual event is considered the oldest and most important animation festival in the world. Launched in 1960, it brings together hundreds of global animation enthusiasts and experts to celebrate creative animation styles and techniques. “Saleeg” is 9 minutes, 39 seconds, produced in 2022 using various puppetry techniques and was filmed in Amsterdam, Holland, at 5 A.M. stop-motion animation studios. “Saleeg” is Bawyan’s first film to be fully written and directed by her, but she previously worked as a script supervisor on seven Saudi feature films. Moreover, she has participated in the Red Sea Film Labs, a platform for filmmakers, writers and industry professionals, with multiple programs to help them achieve their vision and projects. And she won the Lab Award in 2021 during the first edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah. “Saleeg” is a joint production between Bawyan and filmmaker Maryam Khayat. “Khayat has developed a special strategy to present the film at several international and local festivals,” she said. “Every time ‘Saleeg’ receives a nomination, a mention, or an award, I become very astonished. This is my first short script and my first directing work, and I did not expect anything at all. All I did was developing, thinking, thinking again about the story and the directing vision.” The film will also be screened at the ninth edition of the Saudi Film Festival in May. The Saudi Film Commission Tweeted: “We are pleased to have the film (Saleeg) — the winner of #Daw’_Film_Competition premiering at the #Annecy_International_Animation_Film_Festival, competing for the Best Animated Short Award in the (Perspectives) category. We wish you all the best! #Film_Commission.”