The Saudi Film Festival opened Monday with 58 homegrown cinematic works to be screened in the ultra-conservative kingdom that continues to ban public cinemas. "Welcome to all of you, filmmakers, makers of art and makers of hope," festival director Ahmed al-Mulla told participants at the opening ceremony, which was broadcast online. The fourth edition of the festival had been slated to run from March 23-28 in the Gulf coastal city of Dhahran, but it was pushed back due to stormy weather. This is the third consecutive annual film festival in Saudi Arabia after a hiatus of seven years.

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