Events
In Pictures: Cuba Gooding at the Saudi Film Festival
As promised, Oscar-winning star Cuba Gooding Jr. made it to the fifth Saudi Film Festival on Monday, at which he spoke to the audience about his experiences in Hollywood and the kind of challenges that faced him during his careers and how he overcame them.
The Saudi film festival is part of the Sharqiah Season in the Eastern Province, that has been witnessing an impressive success so far; in bringing up international stars, singers and sports to highlight the nation’s own heritage.
Gooding Jr is known for his roles in “A Few Good Men”, “Men of Honor” and “American Crime Story,” among others. The star had previously won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role the 1996 film “Jerry Maguire,” alongside Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger.
Gooding Jr. arrived for the event, at the King Abdul Aziz World Center for Culture (Ithra), in the company of Claudine De Niro, the estranged wife of actor Robert De Niro’s son, Raphael. And they were all welcomed by renowned Saudi film producer and Hollywood businessman Mohammed Al-Turki.
The star gave an almost 60 minute talk to the audience, about his career, life challenges and downfalls that faced him during his journey towards success in the field of film industry. Furthermore, Gooding offered advice to those who dream of perusing a career in acting.
“No one prepares you for success,” he said. “That’s why you see a lot of actors that star in movies, then disappear. Or you see athletes that make a $100 million and then they disappear, too. They weren’t ready for it.
“You have to envision yourself standing on that stage, holding an Oscar over your head, saying, ‘This is for the Middle-East’. You have to envision the script that you will write and envision being on that stage, holding that Oscar.
“People asked me after I won that Academy Award if I ever thought I would be on that stage. I always said, ‘Not in a million years.’ But that’s a lie. You have to envision yourself on that stage, winning that award, so that when you succeed it will feel normal, not like it’s something special, so that you can do it again.”
Finally, the American actor expressed his intention in helping and supporting filmmakers from Saudi Arabia; through his production company that has just been recently launched. When asked if he has plans in mind for the region, he said
“I do, actually. I have a couple of things. I don’t want to give it away but let’s just say that there is a lot of great literature that I’ve read, a lot of different books, including Arabian Nights. It’s hard to talk about the things in development because you don’t want to give it away but there is definitely something in development.”
Well, we definitely would love to see production of movies taking place in Middle Eastern countries, and we’re hoping to see the Kingdom more involved in the film industry.
Beaches of the Kingdom are about to get cleaner with the ‘Let’s Make Them Cleaner’ initiative, which was launched on Friday by the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
Professional divers are taking part of the campaign as volunteers who are ready to clean the beaches and seabeds of Saudi Arabia, in order to save the marine environment from pollution.
The initiative is one of the events launched for Saudi and International Volunteer Day, which is celebrated every year on the 5th of December.
Entitles ‘Ataa Watan,’ the event covers several programs and activities across Saudi Arabia, they were held in partnership with government bodies and NGOs.
So far, the ministry launched five initiatives throughout this year, as part of the Voluntary Work Platform it launched on March 31, 2020.
Residents and visitors of the Kingdom are getting ready to welcome the new year with a number of touristic experiences, as the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) announced the kick off of its latest season of adventures on the 10th of December.
The season will until March 2021 and will offer 300 touristic experiences in 17 destinations in the Kingdom and 200 private sector establishments will take part.
Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb said that the winter season is part of the Saudi tourism system’s efforts with its partners to provide visitors with an amazing tourism experience, it’s a way for them to fall in love with the incredible winter climate of the Kingdom and discover its geographical diversity.
The minister also reassured visitors that the STA is extremely keen on coordinating with health authorities to implement precautionary measures against COVID-19 in order to ensure a safe tourism experience.
The STA is also quite keen on maintaining and implementing all the precautionary measures against the virus, in coordination with the health authorities.
“The authority’s efforts and initiatives are continuous with the launch of the Saudi winter season under the slogan ‘Winter is Around You’.” STA CEO Fahd Hamidaddin said.
“We count a lot on the creativity and efforts of the media to present the bright image of what the Kingdom has to offer; its charming nature and rich cultural heritage, the generosity and hospitality of its people, and its many landmarks, sites, and destinations that contribute into make the Kingdom a unique experience for all.” He added.
The tourist experience will cover campsite adventures, local cuisine, hiking, relaxation, beach activities and rural and adventure activities.
Saudi Arabia is getting ready to celebrate the New Year with three months worth of celebrations!
The General Entertainment Authority (GEA) and the International Company for Organizing Events and Activities, in cooperation with Seven Experience and Rotana audio and video company, has announced their latest project for luxury entertainment and it is set to kick off in the Kingdom’s desert.
The GEA will launch the “Oasis Riyadh” event in January and it will last for three months. The event falls under the “Ideas for Entertainment” initiative, launched by Turki Al-Shikh, chairman of the Board of Directors of GEA.
This is only the beginning! As there are 19 more entertaining ideas that Al-Shikh promised to throw, with precautionary measures in mind of course! The events will take place on a large area in one of the wild areas north of Riyadh, so that social distancing can be maintained.
According to organizer, visitors will get to enjoy a fun atmosphere with a variety of outdoor recreational activities, including concerts, sports games, and activities suitable for various visitors, with the presence of a group of the most famous international restaurants.
The event will include pavilions who will get to display and sell a wide range of unique products that goes along with the event’s theme.
The winter events will see performances from Saudi artists, featuring many aesthetic elements and entertainment nature.
We can’t wait for these festivities to kick off and we certainly can’t wait to witness what the new year will hold!
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