The National newspaper has a report on the struggles of independent film-makers in Saudi Arabia – a land without cinemas:

Outdoor shoots are huge hassles with actors of both genders. Invariably, the religious police arrive and shut down filming, sometimes arresting everyone, despite a five-year-old royal order allowing photography and filming anywhere in the kingdom unless expressly forbidden by posted signs, al Mutairi said. "They stop us all the time, even if we don’t have women."

The absence of cinemas means that Saudi film-makers depend on private home screenings, or the rare film festival, to show their works. But festivals are never a sure thing, as demonstrated a year ago with the Jeddah Film Festival. After three years of increasing success, it was cancelledby the ministry of interior on the eve of its fourth annual opening.

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 14 July 2010.