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EXCLUSIVE: Saudi director Ali Kalthami’s indie thriller Night Courier (Mandoob) has drawn 605,000 spectators at home for a $7.5M box office gross following its release last December, in a first for a homegrown indie thriller in the territory.
The movie is the latest production from Riyadh-based Telfaz11, which broke Saudi box office records last year with the more mainstream freestyle wrestling comedy Sattar. That film sold close to 1M tickets for a $11 million gross at home.
Night Courier is the first feature from Telfaz11 co-founder Kalthami, who first achieved fame for his viral YouTube videos which racked up billions of views ahead of the lifting of Saudi’s 35-year cinema ban in 2017.
“Mandoob has not only shattered records but has also introduced a new genre to the Saudi box office landscape. The overwhelming support from our audience demonstrates a growing appetite for diverse narratives and storytelling style,” said Kalthami.
“This milestone not only celebrates the success of Mandoob but also instils confidence in Saudi films across various genres and moods.”
The drama stars popular local actor Mohamad AlDokhei in his first non-comedic role as a night courier (mandoob) who gets caught in the the city’s underworld, as he battles to raise money for his ailing father’s healthcare.
Further cast members ars Hajjar Alshammari, Mohammed Alttowayan, Mohammed Algarawi and Sarah Taibah.
The production, shot entirely in Riyadh, was lead produced by Telfaz11 Studio and supported by the Red Sea Film Foundation Fund and Muvi Studios.
Executive producers are Alaa Faden, Wael Abumansour, Mohammed Alhamoud, and the film’s producers are Abdulrahman Jarrash Al-Qahtani alongside Chawki Knis. It was co-written by Kalthami and Algarawi.in the cast and recently also took co-director credits on
The film is distributed by Front Row Arabia, the joint venture between distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Muvi Cinemas.
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