Saba Mubarak to Participate in Panel Talk at Cannes Film Festival

Jordanian actress Saba Mubarak is set to feature in a panel talk at this year’s Cannes Film Festival on Monday May 20th, discussing Jordan’s position as a ‘case study in sustainable growth’ in the film industry. Taking place at Plage des Palmes in La Croisette, the morning talk begins at 11:15 AM, with panellists discussing the power of Jordan as a global model of local production capacity. Though small in size, the kingdom has secured its future as a sustainable storytelling hub for the region.

Moderated by Nick Vivarelli, Variety magazine’s Italy and Middle East correspondent, the talk gathers key figures in Jordan’s success story who will share insights on the past, present, and future of the country’s film industry. Panellists include Mohannad Al Bakri (Managing Director, Royal Film Commision Jordan), BAFTA and Academy Award Nominee Bassel Ghandour (Director, Screenwriter and Producer), and Shahinaz El Akkad (CEO of Lagoonie Film Production). Also on the panel are Producers Rula Nasser and Jacob Jarek.

MENA productions, as well as regional figures in cinematography and photography, are increasingly becoming a staple of the Cannes Film Festival, with a number of regional films selected for the event this year. Director Tawfik Alzaidi’s ‘Norah’ made history as the first Saudi film to be selected for the festival; Egyptian production ‘The Brink of Dreams’, directed by Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir, has been selected for the festival’s Critics’ Week. Meanwhile, Egyptian director Hala Elkoussy’s film ‘East of Noon’ will be screened during the Directors’ Fortnight, and ‘The Village Next to Paradise’, from award-winning Egyptian cinematographer Mostafa El Kashef, was selected for the 2024 edition of the prestigious festival as well.