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Saudi film HAJEER to world premiere at 13th Dakhla Film Festival
12 June 2025
The highly anticipated Saudi drama HAJEER, directed by Sara Taleb, is set to make its world premiere as part of the official competition at Morocco’s 13th Dakhla Film Festival, running from June 14th to 20th, alongside two other MAD Films selections—Cannes standout GHOST TRAIL and Tribeca entry SAMIA, both of which have also been chosen for the festival’s official competition.
HAJEER takes place at the heart of 1960s Jeddah, where a deaf child prodigy's passion for music drives him from adversity to acclaim; as he navigates love, betrayal, and prejudice in order to compose a symphony borne of resilience and redemption. Directed by Sara Talab, it stars Abdul Aziz Fiasal, Khaled Yaslem, Reem Al Habib, and Khaled Al Harbi.
As for Yasemin Şamdereli’s SAMIA, it’s a sports drama based on the story of Samia Yusuf Omar, a young Somali athlete who defied societal taboos by racing through the streets of Mogadishu, and ultimately aspiring to compete in the Olympic Games.
Starring Ilham Mohamed Osman, Fathia Mohamed Absie, Fatah Ghedi, and Elmi Rashid Elmi, the film has had an extensive festival run, having world premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in the US, where it won a Special Mention. It also won the Golden Silk Road Award for Best Director at the Silk Road International Film Festival, as well as an International Audience Award at the Munich Film Festival, and was screened at the 45th Cairo International Film Festival to significant praise.
Last but certainly not least, GHOST TRAIL by Johnathan Millet has become somewhat of a sensation, winning over six awards and kicking off with a world premiere as the opening film for the Cannes Film Festival’s 63rd Critics’ Week.
Based on the true story of a secret group that hunts down the regime’s fugitive leaders, the film starts in Syria and follows Hamid, who joins a secret group tracking Syrian regime leaders on the run. His mission takes him to France, pursuing his former torturer for a fateful confrontation. The film is a manhunt thriller inspired by true events, where the past and present collide, exploring themes of justice and redemption.
It stars French-Tunisian star Adam Bessa, known for Netflix’s EXTRACTION and EXTRACTION 2, and winner of the Best Actor Award at Canne’s Un Certain Regard for HARKA, as well as Tawfeek Barhom, and Julia Franz Richter.
HAJEER takes place at the heart of 1960s Jeddah, where a deaf child prodigy's passion for music drives him from adversity to acclaim; as he navigates love, betrayal, and prejudice in order to compose a symphony borne of resilience and redemption. Directed by Sara Talab, it stars Abdul Aziz Fiasal, Khaled Yaslem, Reem Al Habib, and Khaled Al Harbi.
As for Yasemin Şamdereli’s SAMIA, it’s a sports drama based on the story of Samia Yusuf Omar, a young Somali athlete who defied societal taboos by racing through the streets of Mogadishu, and ultimately aspiring to compete in the Olympic Games.
Starring Ilham Mohamed Osman, Fathia Mohamed Absie, Fatah Ghedi, and Elmi Rashid Elmi, the film has had an extensive festival run, having world premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in the US, where it won a Special Mention. It also won the Golden Silk Road Award for Best Director at the Silk Road International Film Festival, as well as an International Audience Award at the Munich Film Festival, and was screened at the 45th Cairo International Film Festival to significant praise.
Last but certainly not least, GHOST TRAIL by Johnathan Millet has become somewhat of a sensation, winning over six awards and kicking off with a world premiere as the opening film for the Cannes Film Festival’s 63rd Critics’ Week.
Based on the true story of a secret group that hunts down the regime’s fugitive leaders, the film starts in Syria and follows Hamid, who joins a secret group tracking Syrian regime leaders on the run. His mission takes him to France, pursuing his former torturer for a fateful confrontation. The film is a manhunt thriller inspired by true events, where the past and present collide, exploring themes of justice and redemption.
It stars French-Tunisian star Adam Bessa, known for Netflix’s EXTRACTION and EXTRACTION 2, and winner of the Best Actor Award at Canne’s Un Certain Regard for HARKA, as well as Tawfeek Barhom, and Julia Franz Richter.
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