The winners of this competition will be announced on September 19, 2024.
Egyptian actor Ahmed Malek, Saudi actress Sara Taibah and French director and screenwriter Claude Mourieras have been announced as jury members for the fourth edition of the 48Hr Film Challenge by the Red Sea Film Foundation.
Malek’s entry into acting began at the age of eight when his uncle brought him to audition for a commercial. His first television role came in 2005 in the series Ayamna el helwa (Our Good Days). A few years later, he appeared in a small role in Mafish Fayda, alongside Moustafa Amar and Basma. Malek’s breakthrough came at age 15 when executive director Osama Farid cast him as the young Hassan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, in the TV series El-Gamaah (The Brotherhood) in 2010.
Malek made his English-language debut in the 2020 Australian film The Furnace, for which he was nominated for the 2021 AACTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
Sara Taibah is a Saudi actress and filmmaker from Jeddah, known for creating, writing and starring in the dark comedy series Jameel Jiddan (2022). She has also contributed to the anthology series Nemra Etnen (2020) and co-wrote the film Hwjn (2023), which opened the Red Sea International Film Festival’s third edition. Taibah’s work includes titles such as Roll’em (2018), VHS Tape Replaced (2023) and the Ramadan series Sikkat Safar (2022).
The 48Hr Film Challenge, organized in collaboration with the French Consulate General in Jeddah, the French Embassy in Saudi Arabia and the Alliance Française, aims to nurture emerging talent and promote innovation in independent filmmaking.
Among the shortlisted teams are Cinergy, led by Omar Al-Abdulhadi; Visual Cortex, led by Rama Tayeb; Dimensions, led by Luai Alahmadi; The muses, led by Sereen Sultan; Thawaran, led by Rawan Alghamdi; SEE-PHONE, led by Nawaf Alkinani; Best In Town, led by Sahar Sulaiman; Seamless, led by Lamar Samarkandi; Westrich, led by Hassan Alradhi; Nafas, led by Rotana Alsharif; Maistro, led by Mohamed Abdul Jabbar; Takween, led by Duaa Aljaroudi; Papillon, led by Seba Bafil; July tie, led by Hatun Ali; and The Dreamers, led by Mohamad Alhussini.
Exclusive professional workshops will be held in Jeddah and Riyadh, featuring experts from France and Saudi Arabia. These sessions will offer screenings of short films and discussions on industry trends and practices.
The winners of the competition will be announced on September 19, 2024. They will receive a residency at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in France in 2025, provided by the French Consulate in Jeddah. Additionally, the winning films will be showcased at the Red Sea International Film Festival in December 2024, providing an international platform for the filmmakers.
