'A Matter of Life and Death’ Lands Two Honours at 12th Saudi Film Fest

Saudi feature film ‘A Matter of Life and Death’, was among the big winners at the 12th Saudi Film Festival, picking up two awards at this year’s edition in Dhahran.

The romantic dark comedy earned the jury’s Special Mention in the Feature Narrative Competition, while its lead and screenwriter, Sarah Taibah, took home the Golden Palm for Best Acting for her performance as Hayat. Directed by Anas Ba-Tahaf, the film has been praised for its bold, genre-bending storytelling, following its debut in Saudi cinemas last month.

The film follows Hayat - a young woman who believes that she will die on her 30th birthday - whose life becomes entangled with Youssef, an emotionally distant heart surgeon played by Yaqoub Alfarhan.

Elsewhere at the festival, Shahad Ameen’s ‘Hijra’ took home the Golden Palm for Best Feature Film, while Ahd Kamel won Best Director for ‘My Driver and I’. The Best Screenplay award went to Abdulaziz Alshlahei for ‘Hobal’, while ‘Fakhr Al Suwaidi’ picked up the Audience Award.