Saudi Film 'Al-Majhula' Selected for Toronto Intl Film Festival

Saudi feature film 'Al-Majhula', directed by Haifaa Al Mansour, has been selected for the 50th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where it will screen as part of the Centerpiece section. The section is dedicated to showcasing bold and distinctive voices from around the world. A modern crime thriller, the film follows the investigation of an unidentified teenage girl’s body found in a remote desert area. The case is taken up by Nuwaila Al-Suffan, a recently divorced woman with a fascination for true crime, who challenges both societal indifference and institutional pressure to close the case.

'Al-Majhula' is Al Mansour’s third feature film, following 'Wadjda' (2012), the first Saudi feature directed by a woman, and 'The Perfect Candidate' (2018), both of which received international recognition. The new project marks her second collaboration with actress Mila Al Zahrani, who starred in 'The Perfect Candidate'. The supporting cast includes Shafi Al-Harthi and Aziz Al-Gharbawi.

The film signals a shift toward more mainstream, thriller-driven storytelling while maintaining a focus on themes of female agency and social transformation. 'Al-Majhula' is also expected to appear at other international festivals this fall, with a commercial release in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf planned in the coming months.