Ministry of Media’s KONOZ Wins Two Golden Palm Awards at Saudi Film Festival

The Kingdom's blossoming film industry hit new heights recently as a pair of homegrown productions from the Ministry of Media's KONOZ initiative captured top prizes at the 10th Saudi Film Festival. "Horizon" scored the "Best Film on the Saudi Environment" award, while "Bakhrush" captured the "Best Cinematography" golden palm.

For the environmentally-conscious, "Horizon" offers a breathtaking tour of Saudi Arabia's rich natural diversity. From the desert's boundless dunes to lush oases, this visually-arresting documentary spotlights the Kingdom's efforts to protect its remarkable biodiversity. Rare and indigenous species are brought vividly to life, imploring viewers to embrace Vision 2030's commitment to ecological preservation. 

“Horizon” is the combined effort of Konoz and the National Center for Wildlife. It premiered earlier this year on Netflix, and can also be found in the wide roster of Saudia Airlines’ inflight entertainment catalog.

Not to be outshone, “Bakhrush” dramatically reimagines the exploits of a famed knight from the First Saudi State. The short film recounts Bakhrush bin Allas Al-Zahrani's role in the Battle of Wadi Qurraysh. 

KONOZ is an initiative under the Ministry of Media, in cooperation with the Human Capability Development Program, one of the programs to achieve Saudi Vision 2030. It aims to document the cultural richness and civilizational contribution of the Kingdom, and highlight success stories of Saudi citizens across all fields through the production of documentary, short, and animated films. It has produced several works such as: "Station Seven", "Hard Phase", "Seagull of Arabia", "The Prophet’s Hajj", "What Saudis Eat", and “Saudi Atlas" among many more. 

As the credits rolled on another Saudi Film Festival in partnership with the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) and supported by the Ministry of Culture’s Film Commission, it's clear that the Kingdom's creators are deftly translating their rich heritage to all types of screens.