For this latest round of graduates, MBC Academy partnered with École Supérieure de Réalisation Audiovisuelle and Generation 2030.
MBC Academy, the educational and training platform by MBC Group dedicated to discovering, upskilling, and fostering Saudi and regional talent in the media and production space, has announced the graduation of its latest cohort of students with a grand ceremony held on the sidelines of the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival.
The ceremony, held at the Université Côte d’Azur’s Campus Georges Méliès, honoured 30 students from MBC Academy’s scholarship programme. The celebration recognised the achievements of 15 acting students and 15 filmmaking students from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region who completed their intensive training in the heart of the film industry. The event featured a year-in-review video showcasing behind-the-scenes footage, showreels, adverts, and short films created by the students, followed by speeches from various representatives. The evening concluded with a cocktail reception and gala dinner at the Pullman Cannes Mandelieu.
Zeinab Abu Alsamh, General Manager of MBC Studios KSA and CEO of MBC Academy, said: “We are absolutely delighted to celebrate our latest filmmaker’s scholarship students. These immensely talented individuals – studying either filmmaking or acting – have embraced the incredible opportunity to be present at the Cannes Film Festival 2024. Driven by their passion and dedication, I am confident that our graduates are making the most of this experience by forging connections and pursuing potential opportunities that could lead to exciting collaborations and successful projects in the future.”
She continued: “Here at MBC Academy, we are very proud of their accomplishments. Our latest programme wouldn’t have been complete without the support of our partners, ESRA and Generation 2030, who have both played a crucial role in nurturing these students, offering them top-quality training, guidance, and project development and facilitation.
“I am greatly optimistic that in a few years, we will see some of these students presenting their work themselves at the Cannes Film Festival. This graduation ceremony served as a unique ‘home away from home’ hub where local, regional, and global creatives, producers, and filmmakers converged.”
MBC Academy’s latest scholarship programme attracted over 400 applicants, from which 30 exceptional students were selected. These students embarked on an enriching journey, culminating in this graduation ceremony, marking a significant milestone in their professional careers.
MBC Academy’s partners for this latest round of graduates were ESRA (École Supérieure de Réalisation Audiovisuelle) and Generation 2030. Founded in 1972, ESRA Group stands as Europe’s private institution in film education, offering theoretical and practical training in film, television, sound, music, and animation.
Thierry Collard, Director of ESRA Côte d’Azur, commented: “It is a privilege for ESRA Côte d’Azur to have welcomed in Cannes, for the first time, 30 Saudi students in Acting and Film Making. The creative training was developed with ESRA know-how established both in France and internationally with our branches in China and the US. This has enabled us to discover a young generation of Saudi actors and filmmakers, full of creativity and tenacity. The whole ESRA team is happy to have contributed to strengthening the ties between our two countries and to have achieved these programmes.”
Generation 2030, a French association established in 2019, aims to foster cultural and social bridges between France and Saudi Arabia by bringing together young talents from diverse backgrounds.
Soha Alharbi, Chairwoman of Generation 2030, added: “Since its establishment, Generation 2030 has taken part in the growth of the young Saudi cinema and its dynamic. The association facilitates the development and implementation of training programs between French cinema schools and stakeholders of the Saudi audiovisual industry such as MBC Group. We are delighted with the result of this unique program, which trains the next generation of Saudi talents.”
