MENA based distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment has acquired all distribution rights of Saudi feature Route 10, a pulse pounding chase thriller starring Saudi stars Fatima AlBanawi (Barakah Meets Barakah) along with Baraa Alem (The Book of Sun) and directed by Omar Naim. The film is set for a wide theatrical release across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and remaining MENA territories on July 28 via Front Row Arabia, a joint-venture between Front Row and homegrown leading Saudi exhibitor, Muvi Cinemas.
Produced by Image Nation Abu Dhabi and MBC Studios, Route 10 follows the story of siblings Maryam and Nasser who decide to travel from Riyadh to Abu Dhabi by car through the desert road in order to attend their father’s wedding. They end up being chased by an angry stranger in what turns out to be a fight for their lives.
“We strongly believe in the potential of Saudi talent and are very eager to promote Saudi and Middle east cinema in general to the region and the world,” said Front Row CEO Gianluca Chakra. “Route 10 is a tense, incredibly entertaining film and a very unique proposition to the Saudi market. We’re very happy to have teamed up with two pillars of the Arab film industry, Image Nation Abu Dhabi and MBC Studios, and we believe that this is a first step in a long-term partnership that will ensure the proper release and promotion of Saudi and Arab films in the region.”
The deal was negotiated between Gianluca Chakra and Eli Touma of Front Row, Ben Ross from Image Nation and Stewart Till at MBC Studios.
Front Row reached global audiences with the massive success of the Arabic language remake of Perfect Strangers starring Nadine Labaki, which became the first Arabic language Netflix original. Accordingly Front Row struck a look deal on all their feature film productions with Netflix.
