Mahmoud Sabbagh wrote and directed the film and also serves as producer through his Jeddah-based El-Housh Productions, in co-production with boutique company Nine Projects, which is based in Cairo and Dubai.
Saudi filmmaker Mahmoud Sabbagh has signed an agreement with France-based digital film distributor and aggregator Under The Milky Way to bring his feature film Last Party in R. Desert to international audiences through major digital platforms, as reported by Deadline.
The dark comedy, which marks Sabbagh’s third feature following his breakthrough 2016 comedy-romance Barakah Meets Barakah, first premiered on Netflix in July last year. Under the new deal, the film is set for a wider transactional digital release on Apple TV, Google Play and Prime Video across several global territories.
The international rollout begins on February 2 in the UK, Ireland and other English-speaking markets, with releases in the United States and Canada following on February 3. Under The Milky Way will manage the distribution through its Claudia service, which was developed with support from the French Ministry of Culture. After its initial digital launch, the film is expected to expand later this year to subscription-based and ad-supported streaming platforms.
Last Party in R. Desert centres on Najm, a cash-strapped local impresario and the son of a celebrated wedding singer, as he struggles to keep his music troupe alive amid professional tensions and a rapidly shifting nightlife landscape in contemporary Saudi Arabia.
Sabbagh wrote and directed the film and also serves as producer through his Jeddah-based El-Housh Productions. The project was co-produced with boutique production company Nine Projects, which operates between Cairo and Dubai.
