Winning projects will receive a share of $200,000 in awards at the third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival in December.
In collaboration with TorinoFilmLab and sponsored by Film AlUla, Red Sea Labs has announced 12 projects from new Arab and African voices that have been selected for the Red Sea Lodge.
The Lodge is an intensive ten-month mentorship programme, aimed at the next generation of emerging filmmakers to help turn their project ideas into a reality.
From March 14 – 20, the first Lodge workshop will take place in AlUla, a Saudi filmmaking hub. During the third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival, which will take place from November 30 to December 9, in Jeddah, the final workshop and the presentation of the selected projects will take place.
This year, the Lodge schedule is made up of five workshops, four of which will be in person. The workshop is designed to take emerging filmmaking talent at the early stages of their career through the essentials of filmmaking. The selected projects will receive access to a wealth of industry knowledge and support, given by experts across all factions of the film world. From editing and sound to the later stages of the filmmaking process, such as post-production and sales.
The winners of the programme will take home a share of $200,000 to help kickstart their projects and build on the key learnings from the workshops.
Speaking about the selected projects, Ryan Ashore, Head of Red Sea Labs, said: “The Red Sea Labs are growing into a wide-ranged platform with multiple programs including the Lodge so that we can build an echo system, in which we develop the filmmakers so they can apply to the Fund and find their opportunities in the Souk. Aiming for a stellar film industry in the region.”
The teaching team is led by Violeta Bava, Head of Studies, Michel Kammoun, Head of Script Development, and Titus Kreyenberg, Head of Production. The tutor team included Yorgos Tsourgiannis, Mohamed Ben Attia, Marta Andreu, Magali Negroni and Sabine Sidawi.
Shivani Pandya Malhotra, Managing Director of Red Sea International Festival, added: “The Lodge, in partnership with TorinoFilmLab, provides vital support to the next generation of film talent coming out of the region. We’re hugely excited by the 12 projects that have been selected this year, which represent a diverse range of filmmakers and perspectives. Building on the success of previous years, the Lodge aims to continue nurturing talent and putting the region on the map as a hub for filmmakers.”
The projects from Saudi Arabia are How To Not Get Married In Saudi Arabia, Sukun, Mecca Berlin, By Hasnaa’s Side, and Lost Soul.
The selected projects from the Arab region are An Endless Night, To Each Their Own, Temporary Lives, The Sun Has Seen Everything, and My Father Killed Bourguiba.
Black Snake and Fantastic Tale have been selected from Africa.
