Not a single cinema hall but Saudis hold their first film festival

Saudis, known for banning popular Bollywood and Hollywood films, are
now organising the country's first ever film festival. Till date, there
are no cinema halls in Saudi Arabia. In fact, when Sanjay Leela
Bhansali's 'Black' was screened privately at an exclusive club and the
news leaked out, a leading Imam condemned the Indian film for violating
Islamic norms. Now, the eastern Saudi city of Dammam is hosting a
four-day film festival showcasing the best of Saudi's cinema, writes Pervaiz Alam for India EU Film Initiative.

Saudi
Arab's first film festival in Dammam started with a recitation of
Quranic verses Tuesday, May 20. The organisers were tense because,
according to reports, a few days ago, an Islamic scholar Sheik Abdullah
al-Obailan had issued a damning condemnation against a cultural club in
the northern city of Hayel for screening an Indian movie, calling its
members a 'gangrene in the body' with 'thoughts shrouded by illicit
lust'>>> read more
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