MASTERCLASS WITH ABDULLAH AL MUHEISEN
Masterclass
As part of the program, the festival will present a special screening of Al-Muhaisen’s landmark documentary “Assassination of a City” (1977)—one of his most significant works, reflecting his cinematic vision and his deep engagement with Arab issues and their social and human impact on communities.
Following the screening, the festival will host a Masterclass with Abdullah Al Muhaisen, where he will discuss his extensive artistic journey and cinematic philosophy, as expressed through his major works—from the earliest days of Saudi cinema to the films that marked defining milestones in its history.
Date: 11 April 2026
Time:
21:00 – Reception with Arabic fingerfood and live music
22:00 – Film screening followed by a masterclass
Venue: Panora Cinema 1, Malmö
Moderator
Erfan Rashid is a journalist, filmmaker, and film critic at Asharq News Channel (Dubai/Riyadh) and a Golden Globe Awards voter. Born in Khanaqin, Iraq, in 1952, he has lived in Italy since 1978 and hosts the weekly program Asharq Cinema.
He founded the Arab Film Festival in Bologna, was the Director of Arab Programmes of the Dubai International Film Festival (2008–2015), and is the Artistic Director of the “ A Sea of Arab Cinema”Meeting in Messina, Sicily. He co-authored the book Cinema of Arab Countries (Marsilio). A graduate of the Baghdad Academy of Fine Arts (1977), he received the Ischia International Journalism Award (2006), the Giovanna Arrighi Award for Critics (Venice, 2018), and the Arab Cinema Center Critics’ Lifetime Achievement Award (Cannes, 2025).