Saudi Arabia is rolling out the red carpet on Friday for its second film festival in seven years but the deeply conservative country has one major problem -- cinemas are banned. More than 60 short films will compete for "Golden Palm Tree" trophies crowning best drama, documentary and student film at a gala event attended by film and television celebrities from around the Arab world, festival director Ahmed al-Mulla said. Organisers said they hope the five-day festival will open eyes in Saudi Arabia to the possibilities of film despite objections from some conservatives that cinema will "Westernise" the kingdom or corrupt its morals. "I think we in Saudi Arabia have beautiful culture to tell the world," said filmmaker Abdullah al-Eyaf, the head of the festival jury.
via Entertainment News Headlines — Yahoo! News
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