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RIYADH: In front of a giant display screen inside a large theater in downtown Riyadh, Saudi men and women are sitting and watching a short film while photographers, journalists and members of Haia were standing at the back.

This scene was part of the six-day “Hakaya MiSK” festival which was inaugurated the other day in Riyadh.
The festival, organized by MiSK Charity Foundation, has showcased a variety of platforms designed to inspire youths and motivate them to create cultural, literary and scientific content, and how to express and write their thoughts through four creative sections: Writing, drawing, animation, and visual production.
Dr. Saad Al-Asmari, who watched the Saudi short film “Motor,” said the scene at the grand theater assures him that opening cinemas in ��������Ƶ has become a matter of time, since a large section of the community now has a different outlook toward this medium.
Al-Asmari, who is a Saudi academic in a public university and attended the event with his wife, confirmed that allowing cinema will put an end to the thousands of young people who travel to some neighboring countries to watch the latest movies there.
“Motor,” talks about an introvert man named Khalil, whose motorbike breaks down in the middle of the road, and he is forced to get a ride from one of the passing vehicles, where he communicates with its driver and passengers.
The 20-minute film is a Saudi production made in 2015 and is directed by Saudi Mohammed Al-Helail.
The MiSK Festival at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center (RICEC) is witnessing many cultural, cognitive, entertainment activities, and offers several interactive innovative platforms.
One of the most prominent events that will be presented during the festival is the screening of six creative films for the first time in ��������Ƶ, which are mostly stories inspired by real life incidents within Saudi society.
The short films are expected to draw a large turnout.
The creative films, whose stories were written and directed by young Saudi men and women, discuss societal issues or knowledge development among its members.
The list of films that will be screened at the festival are “Basta,” short film by director Hind Al-Fahhad, which tells the story of the vendors suffering in popular markets and the difficulties they face; “Complaint,” a short film by Hana Al-Omair; “Matab/Bump,” by director Mohamed Al-Shaheen; and “Mishwar/Journey,” by Yaqoub Al-Mazroua.