Hussam Alhulwah

Hussam Alhulwa isn’t your average filmmaker—far from it. The guy started out as a film critic for some of the biggest Arabic newspapers—Asharq Alawsat, Al Madina, Al Jazira. But he didn’t just sit around pointing out what was wrong with everyone else’s movies. Nope, back in 2008, he cofounded Talashi Films, which, let’s be honest, is kind of a big deal in the Saudi indie scene. At Talashi, he wasn’t messing around. He wrote and directed two shorts: “I Don’ Wanna” in 2009 and “Return” in 2010. The second one snagged the Best Script award at the Gulf Film Festival, so clearly, he was up to something good. But Hussam didn’t stop there. He moved into TV, writing, producing, and directing the TV movie “Apartment 6” for the MBC Network in 2012. If you’ve ever surfed Saudi National TV, you’ve probably caught some of his other TV movies—he’s got his fingerprints all over the place. And just when you think he might chill out for a second, he goes and serves as a juror at the 4th Saudi Film Festival in 2017. So, whether he’s making films, judging them, or just stirring up the scene, Hussam’s name keeps popping up. The dude’s definitely carved out a space for himself in the region’s film world, blending criticism, creativity, and a whole lotta hustle.