Saudi Arabia and Sudan Collaborate on the New Drama Film “Blue Card”

EXCLUSIVE: Riyadh-based Habbar Film Marketing (HFM) has joined Sudanese director and producer Mohammed Aloma as a co-producer on his upcoming film, Blue Card, marking the company’s first venture into international co-production.

Set against the backdrop of displacement, Blue Card chronicles the journey of Abdullah, who flees war-torn Sudan and seeks refuge in Egypt. In Cairo, he is compelled to work in a nursing home, forcing him to confront his past and make profound life choices.

This film represents Aloma’s feature directorial debut and is produced by his long-time collaborator, Amjad Abu Alala, renowned for his directorial work on You Will Die At Twenty, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2019 and won the Lion of the Future Award.

Currently based in Cairo, Aloma and Abu Alala are co-founders of Station Films, a company that has played a pivotal role in the emergence of Sudan’s film industry following the ousting of dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019. However, the industry now faces severe challenges due to ongoing civil conflict in the country.

Station Films previously produced Goodbye Julia, the first feature film from Sudan to be screened at Cannes, where it won the Freedom Prize in Un Certain Regard in 2023. Aloma also produced Yemeni drama The Burdened by Amr Gamal, which premiered at the Berlinale in 2023 and received the Amnesty International Film Prize.

Habbar Film Marketing was established last year by a leading Saudi creative agency, aiming to connect both local and international films with Saudi audiences through its parent company’s extensive experience in creating advertising and marketing campaigns. The company is also keen to engage with Saudi Arabia’s evolving film industry and the broader MENA film ecosystem.

“This is exactly the kind of story Habbar stands for,” a company representative stated. “With Blue Card, Habbar Film Marketing formally opens its international co-production chapter, transitioning from film marketing into global filmmaking partnerships.”

Previously, the company has supported Saudi filmmakers through its involvement in the Red Sea Film Festival’s Red Sea Souk project incubator, offering a $10,000 cash award and $40,000 in marketing services, awarded to Saudi director Khaled Zidan for Green Corpse.

For Blue Card, Habbar Film Marketing teams up with a diverse array of international partners, including May Odeh from Mayana Films in Germany, Georges Schoucair and Christian Eid from Player Films in France, and Ingrid Lill Høgtun from Barentsfilm in Norway. Saudi participation is further supported by Red Sea Lodge and MBC Studios.

MAD World will handle the film’s international sales and distribution. Additionally, the project has garnered support from the El Gouna Film Festival’s CineGouna initiative, the Berlinale’s World Cinema Fund, and the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC).

The film was initially set to be presented at the Berlinale Co-Production Market earlier this month; however, Aloma and Abu Alala withdrew their participation after being denied visas to enter Germany.