The Perfect Candidate Archives

Haifaa al-Mansour’s ‘The Perfect Candidate’ explores what happens when a young Saudi Arabian doctor decides to run for her local municipal council.

‘The Perfect Candidate’ Exclusive Trailer: Haifaa Al-Mansour’s Heartfelt Drama Arrives In Theaters This May

April 8, 2021 10:58 am

While the name Haifaa Al-Mansour might not be as well known as some international filmmakers, the trailblazing director will always go down in history as the first woman to direct a feature film in Saudi Arabi...

Swedish Distributors Team With Streaming Service To Release New Films & Financially Assist Closed Cinemas

Charles Barfield

March 18, 2020 2:31 pm

Box Office, News

As the world deals with the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus), almost every industry is being hit hard financially. And since we cover film and TV, we have focused primarily on how the theatrical distribution b...

Mila Al Zahrani Is The Face Of Change In The First Trailer & Clips For Venice’s ‘The Perfect Candidate’

Matthew Monagle

September 2, 2019 12:50 pm

Festivals, News

In 2013, Saudi Arabian filmmaker Haifaa al-Mansour burst on the scene with “Wadjda,” a female coming-of-age story set in a country where women’s rights still lag behind international standards. “Wadjda” was an ...

Haifaa Al-Mansour’s ‘The Perfect Candidate’ shines at Venice.

‘The Perfect Candidate’: Haifaa Al-Mansour Gently Marries Family Tradition & Equality [Venice Review]

Christina Newland

August 31, 2019 1:13 pm

Festivals, News, Reviews

In "The Perfect Candidate," the fourth feature film from Haifaa al-Mansour, Maryam (Mila Al Zahrani), a plucky young Saudi Arabian doctor, makes an impulsive decision to run for her local municipal council seat...

‘Honey Boy,’ ‘Monos,’ ‘The Perfect Candidate’ & More Highlight BFI London Film Fest’s Official Competition Lineup

Charles Barfield

August 28, 2019 11:51 am

Festivals, News

Venice is kicking off today, with Telluride and Toronto following in its footsteps. We are officially in the thick of fall film festival season. And adding to the already impressive lineup of events happening o...

2019 Venice Film Festival Preview: 15 Must-See Movies

The Playlist Staff

August 26, 2019 3:36 pm

Features, Festivals, News

Let's get right to it. The Venice Film Festival is about to pop off this week which means, welcome to the madness of fall and the annual season when we lose our minds. It's a terrific time to be a movie lover, ...

‘Ad Astra,’ ‘Joker,’ ‘Marriage Story,’ ‘The King’ Bowing At 2019 Venice Film Festival

Gregory Ellwood

July 25, 2019 6:27 am

Awards, Awards Campaign, Features, Festivals, News

As always, the announcement of the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival slate took a bite out of Venice's thunder. That festival's designation of "World," "Canadian," "International" and "North American" p...

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