Anthology Film ‘Quareer,’ By Five Female Directors, Wins Big at Saudi Film Festival

Oleksandr Usyk says that he is not fighting for money, despite the vast sums on offer for his rematch with Anthony Joshua which takes place in Saudi Arabia in August.

Middle East and North Africa distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment has snapped up regional distribution rights for Saudi action picture Route 10, starring rising local talents Fatima AlBanawi and Baraa Alem.

Oleksandr Usyk has emerged as odds-on favourite for his rematch with Anthony Joshua which is set to take place in Saudi Arabia on August 20. Usyk currently holds the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles after beating Joshua in their first fight at the Tottenham Hotpsur Stadium in September 2021.

It has been announced that the world title fight between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk will attract a massive $80m (£65.4m) sum paid by the middle eastern state to host the rematch.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentEgypt’s El Gouna Film Festival is being put on hiatus this year after five successful editions in what could be a precursor to the event being permanently scrapped or radically reshaped.In a statement, fest organizers said “a decision was made to postpone the festival” which was scheduled to run Oct. 13-22 in the Egyptian Red Sea resort.As for the reason, the nebulous statement, posted to social media, said the fest — which is now in its 6th edition — is being postponed “in view of the vital role” it’s played “in the art and tourism sectors, both locally and internationally,” which is now being re-thought “in view of current global challenges.”Competition between Arab film fests has been increasingly fierce with the deep-pocketed Red Sea Festival in Saudi Arabia joining the fray last year, alongside the Cairo and Marrakech fests.

LIV Golf Series have pledged $2 billion into the new venture which, not surprisingly, has turned a lot of golfers’ heads — even though it’s run by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the man the CIA believe ordered the assassination of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.Some big names — Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and others — have already made the move, costing them their place on the PGA Tour even as they were part of this weekend’s US Open. Other high-profile players, including Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson, are rumored to be joining LIV soon.New reports claim that four-time major-championship winner Brooks Koepka (whose younger brother, Chase, has already signed on for LIV) might also switch.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentRising Saudi Arabian star Yaqoub Alfarhan, who plays the titular role in hit MBC TV series “Rashash,” is attached to star in “Norah” a groundbreaking drama written and directed by Tawfik Alzaidi that is currently shooting in AlUla the sprawling area of Saudi desert and giant boulders that boasts an ancient city.Set in 1990s Saudi Arabia, when conservatism was at its height and all forms of art and painting were banned for religion-related reasons, “Norah” sees Alfarhan (pictured) play an artist named Nader who has given up painting and moved to a remote village to be a schoolteacher. There he intersects with the film’s titular “Norah,” an illiterate orphaned young woman who is facing an arranged marriage in which she will be trapped and has a need  for self expression.

Disney/Pixar’s Lightyear begins offshore rollout this week, but won’t be hitting cinemas in such Middle East markets as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. Nor will it go to theaters in Malaysia or Indonesia. Deadline understands the film has not received distribution certificates in these markets. As with other recent Hollywood films, the issue is believed to be related to LGBTQ content.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentPixar’s “Lightyear” will not be playing in Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E. and Kuwait, among other West Asia territories, due to the inclusion of a same sex kiss in the “Toy Story” spinoff.The scene, involving a new lesbian space ranger character named Alisha and her partner starting a family together and greeting each other with a kiss on the lips had been originally cut from the film by Disney.But it was reinstated when Pixar animators spoke out against Disney in an open letter obtained by Variety, saying that Disney had demanded cuts, censoring “overtly gay affection” and in protest against Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s handling of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaUniversal’s “Jurassic World Dominion” continues to cast a shadow over the worldwide box office.The film opens in 57 new markets this weekend, including China, where it’s grossed $15.3 million. The international haul for the sequel stands at a healthy $95.1 million.China, which has not been that receptive to Hollywood films, was a bright spot.

Six-time major winner Phil Mickelson today announced he will return to golf in LIV Golf’s London tournament this Thursday. “Lefty,” as he is known, took a four-month break after remarks he made about the PGA and Saudi Arabia.

Refresh for latest…: Paramount/Skydance’s Top Gun: Maverick, as projected yesterday, has flown past $500M worldwide, with $548.6M through its first two frames. The offshore weekend is estimated at $81.7M, an incredible hold of -20%, to lift the international box office cume to $257M in 64 markets. This does not include big Tom Cruise hub Korea which rolls out on June 23 (nor are China and Russia in the mix).