Jeddah: The Red Sea International Film Festival opened applications for the "48Hr Film Challenge," encouraging young talents in Saudi Arabia aspiring to enter the world of filmmaking.

The challenge applies to citizens or residents of the Kingdom and will run until June 30, representing a collaboration between the Alliance Française, the French Consulate in Jeddah, and the Red Sea International Film Festival.

The challenge is designed to enhance curiosity, creativity, and innovation among youth while developing their directing skills. Participants will have the opportunity to create thrilling short films in a race against time.

The challenge is open to teams of creative talents aged between 18 and 25 years, with a maximum of five participants per team led by a Saudi director or scriptwriter.

Selected teams will participate in a series of workshops and intensive courses on short film production for two days in July, just before the 48Hr Film Challenge begins.

The challenge revolves around creating a film based on a specific theme, including an unknown scenic or prop element that will be revealed just before the shoot.

The participating teams will then embark on a race against time to produce and shoot a short 3–6-minute film.

The challenge will conclude with the screening of the films in September 2024, followed by the selection and awarding of the two winning teams.

The leaders of the winning teams will also enjoy an artistic residency ticket to master directing at La Fémis school in France in 2025.

The Red Sea International Film Festival invites those interested in the 48Hr Film Challenge to apply on the following link: https://redseafilmfest.com/ar/48hr-film-challenge.