The jury, composed of Nadia Turincev, Meinolf Zurhorst and Yousry Nasrallah, selected and announced the winners.
The Red Sea Lodge has announced the winners of two production grants worth $500,00. While Sharshaf by Hind Alfahhad won Saudi Production Grant, Bullets & Bread by Mohammad Hammad won the Arab Production Grant.
The announcement was part of the selection of twelve projects for the first edition of the Red Sea Lodge: Script & Feature lab. The jury, composed of Nadia Turincev, Meinolf Zurhorst and Yousry Nasrallah, selected and announced the winners.
Sharshaf is written by Hana Alomair and produced by Talal Ayel. The film is set in 1978. Haila, the daughter of a conservative Imam, marries Mosa’ed, the son of a rich and well-known fabric stores owner. The young couple spends their honeymoon in Cairo.
Bullets & Bread is produced by Kholoud Saad and Mohamed Hefzy. The film is about Youssef, a conscript serving his compulsory military service on the Egyptian eastern desert border who dreams of becoming a writer. Awad is a dangerous bandit from one of those tribes roaming that remote desert region who dreams of giving a better life for his family in Cairo. Their paths were not meant to cross but true friendship will grow between them.
The jury also gave a special mention to the Saudi Project Four Acts of Disruption directed by Hussam AlHulwah and produced by Mohammad Alhamoud, which will be awarded $25,000 by the Red Sea Lodge for further development. The story is set in the 1930s while the newly formed Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is adjusting to the arrival of American oil prospectors.
The six Saudi projects selected for the inaugural Red Sea Lodge are Basma written by Fatima Al-Banawi and directed by Ali Alsumayin, Practicing Polygamy directed by Malak Qouta, Four Acts of Disruption directed by Hussam AlHulwah, When The Star Goes Down directed by Mohammed Salman, Sharshaf directed by Hind Alfahhad and Hejj to Disney directed by Maha Al-saati.
The six Arab projects include Scheherazade Goes Silent directed by Amira Diab, Inchalla A boy directed by Amjad Alrasheed, The Arabic Interpreter directed by Ali Kareem, Bullets & Bread directed by Mohammed Hammad, The Basement Notes directed by Hadi Ghandour, and I Am Arzé directed by Mira Shaib.
In collaboration with the TorinoFilmLab, the Lodge hand-picked the filmmakers, pairing each with an experienced mentor to support and enhance their work throughout the creative process.
The programme is for directors and producers, with scriptwriters if on board, to hone and further all aspects of their vision. Every stage of filmmaking was explored, from script consultations to working with experts in the fields of directing, cinematography and sound, through to post-production as well as a commercial focus on financing, sales, and audience engagement.
Saudi director Maha Al-Saati’s Red Sea Lodge project Hejj To Disney was also selected for TIFF Filmmaker Lab, and for the upcoming development programmes at Malmo Arab Film Festival (MAFF) and El-Gouna Film Festival.
