MY DRIVER AND I is Headed to a Premiere in its Native Nation

My Driver and I, a Saudi film Ahd Kamel directed, will debut globally at the 4th Red Sea International Film Festival.

The fourth Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia, from December 5th to 14th, has chosen Ahd Kamel’s Saudi film MY DRIVER AND I in its global debut as part of the Arab Spectacular Program, kicking off its festival tour on a high note.

The film centres on Salma, a young, affluent, and disobedient Saudi girl whose family employs Gamar, a Sudanese guy, to transport her to and from her daily activities.

Notably, Salma and Gamar’s relationship, which at first follows a straightforward employer/employee dynamic, soon develops into a close personal connection that lasts into her teenage years and beyond. However, as Salma gets older and starts driving, they face challenges to their bond.

Director Ahd Kamed responded to her film by saying, “The film explores late 20th-century Saudi society by examining a wealthy family where hired help becomes a member and follows a girl as she navigates adolescence and social expectations, providing a unique perspective on the societal norms.”

With assistance from the Cairo Film Connection, the UK Global Screen Fund, and the Red Sea Film Foundation, Kamel’s directorial feature debut, MY DRIVER AND I, is a heartbreaking story that demonstrates the intersection of Sudanese society in Saudi Arabia like never before.

The film stars Qusai Kheder, Roula Dakheelallah, and Rana Alamuddin, and features Mustafa Shehata, a Sudanese actor with Egyptian ancestry. Shehata made his feature film debut in Amjad Abu Alala’s YOU WILL DIE AT TWENTY, winning Best Debut Feature at the Venice Film Festival. It received universal praise from critics and served as Sudan’s official submission to the 2021 Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film.

Additionally, Shehata, known for his exceptional acting skills, was a 2020 Berlin International Film Festival Talent, selected as Screen Daily’s 2021 Arab Stars of Tomorrow, and participated in film festivals in Ajyal and Al-Ain.

Amjad Abu Alala, a Sudanese filmmaker who produced the iconic Sudanese film GOODBYE JULIA and directed YOU WILL DIE AT TWENTY, as well as Yemen’s official Oscar submission THE BURDENED, completes the cast.

In the Saudi-UK collaboration MY DRIVER AND I, Ahd Kamel wrote and directed, Frida Marzouk lensed, Andonis Tratto edited, Marc Codsi handled the music, and Emmanuel Zouki handled the sound.

Besides, Georgie Paget and Thembisa Cochrane produced the movie, and Caspian Films, Corniche Media, and Odd Kamel Films co-produced it. In the Arab world, MAD Distribution is responsible for the film’s sales and distribution, while MAD World manages its global distribution and sales.

Award-winning actress and filmmaker Ahd Kamel hails from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She played the lead in the 2014 BAFTA-nominated film WADJDA, costarred with Chris Pine, Thandiwe Newton, and Laurence Fishburne in Amazon’s 2022 thriller ALL THE OLD KNIVES, and played Fatima in the 2018 BBC2/Netflix series COLLATERAL.

Originally from Saudi Arabia, Ahd relocated to New York City in 1998. She graduated from Parsons School of Design in 2014 with a BFA in Animation & Communication and the New York Film Academy in 2015 with a degree in directing. She then attended the William Esper Studio to pursue acting under William Esper’s personal guidance.

The two award-winning short films that Ahd has written, directed, and performed in are THE SHOEMAKER (2009) and SANCTITY (2012), the latter of which was the first Saudi film to be shown at the Berlinale.

In 2019, the World Economic Forum also named Ahd a Young Global Leader. Her first feature film as a director is MY DRIVER AND I.

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