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Jeddah, March 24th: Today, Elhoush Productions revealed the official poster for the Saudi film “Last Party in R. Desert,” directed by Mahmoud Sabbagh. The film is set to hit cinemas in a wide-release across Saudi Arabia starting May 9th, 2024. It’s a blend of drama and dark comedy, classified for viewers aged 18 and above.
“Last Party in R. Desert,” written and directed by Mahmoud Sabbagh, follows Najm, a cash-driven local impresario who wanders the nightlife venues and junctions with his music troupe, in their struggle to stay afloat amid professional strife and a scene shift in contemporary Saudi Arabia. Najm, the heir to Kaka Al-Qamar, one of Jeddah’s most renowned wedding singers, finds himself entangled in a drama of burnout and obsession that takes place over one long night filled with twists, turns, and disruptions.
Starring Abdullah Albarrak as Najm, and Marwa Salem as Kola, the singer, alongside the late Sami Hanafi as Silver, the professional sound engineer, and oud player Radwan Jifri as Tarefi.
“Last Party in R. Desert” marks the third feature film by Saudi producer and director Mahmoud Sabbagh, following “Barakah Meets Barakah” (2016) and “Amra and the Second Marriage” (2018). The latter premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2016, becoming the first Saudi feature film to screen at the festival and the second Saudi film to be nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards.
“Last Party in R. Desert” was entirely shot in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, spanning between Jeddah and Riyadh’s outskirts.
El-Housh Productions, the Jeddah-based indie label established by Sabbagh in 2016 produces the film, with Nine Projects as co-producer, Front Row Arabia as distributor in Saudi theaters, and the Arab Radio and Television Network (ART) as digital distributor in MENA region.
Director Mahmoud Sabbagh Headshot (Photo Credit: Patrick Paz)