Meshal Al-Jaser
Directing
Biography
Meshal Al Jaser was born and raised in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He became interested in film at a very young age. Since Saudi Arabia didn’t have movie theaters at the time, he decided to make his own films. At 17 years old, Jaser was the main contributor to Folaim’s channel and was one of the first Saudis to direct short films for Telfaz 11’s YouTube channels. Together the channels have garnered around 870 million viewers, and 8.6 million subscribers. In 2016, Jaser directed “Is Sumiaty Going to Hell?” a short film that addresses the struggle Indonesian maids face in the Gulf. The film received final nomination in Oscar eligible festivals, such as LA Shorts Fest and NewFilmmakers Los Angeles. It was also a winner of the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards and was officially selected in many other festivals. His next short, “Under Concrete,” released in 2017, was the winner in the worldwide Qomrah competition. This year, Jaser directed a United Nations campaign for refugees. He was also one of 10 Saudi directors chosen by the Saudi government to represent the Saudi consul in events at Paramount Pictures, Ace Theater, and the Cannes Film Festival.
Known For
Khambalah: A word that has no meaning other than randomness, everything and nothing.
Khambalah
Folaim Ya gholaim - The Eccentric Cinema of Meshal Al Jaser
Folaim
Stranded amid Riyadh's desert dunes, Sarah, a local Saudi girl, escapes heartaches and the vengeance of a vigorous camel after discreetly sneaking out of her parent's home for a romantic date that landed her astray.
Naga
A seven-year-old child narrates the struggles of her nanny, Sumyati, who must navigate prejudice and cruel treatment from the family she works for.
Is Sumiyati Going to Hell?
A girl asks for her parent's permission to go out with her friend.
Folaim - Can I Go Out?
A short film featuring a teenager raging after realizing that school is next week.
Folaim - School is Next Week
A sarcastic mashup of several genres to deliver a simple incident between a group of guys.
Folaim - Cocktail
A Saudi teenager encounters a stereotypical Saudi bully "Drbawi," but with super powers.
Folaim - Super Drbawy
Saad, a Muslim married man, gets over his depression after a space Alien is introduced into his life.
Arabian Alien
A child in Syria trapped under concrete after an explosion demolished her home.
Under Concrete
A Chubby kid experiences Eid for the first time of his life.
Folaim - Eid's Heart
A hectic short film that sarcastically mimics the repetitive scenarios of the Gulf state's annual TV dramas.
Folaim - Cheetah Wound
A thief encounters a guy on a wheelchair and has a change of heart.
Folaim | These with Public Needs
A group of outlaws decide to makeup for anything bad they do after they have fun doing it.
Folaim - Allolo
The short film features an obsessed guy who is captured by an ad for breaking new pills that help in losing weight.
Folaim - Belly for Two Riyals
A young guy reenacts a scene of Dark Knight's "Joker" for an audition.
Folaim - Joker Experiment
A young director shares his drafted script with his friend only to be surprised that his friend betrays him.
Folaim - Copyrights
A guy with autism describes what it's like to be autistic.
Folaim - Maybe
While a guy chokes on a date, no one around him realizes.
Folaim - Ahm Ahm
An introverted painter finds a mysterious red barrel in his room.