• Winning projects will receive a share a pot of $200,000 in awards at the third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival in December.

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: The Red-sea Labs announced today the selection of 12 projects, from new and exciting voices from Saudi Arabia and the wider Arab and African region, which have been selected for the Red Sea Lodge, a development program in collaboration with the TorinoFilmLab and sponsored by Film AlUla. The Lodge is an intensive ten-month mentorship program, aimed at the next generation of emerging filmmakers to help turn their project ideas into a reality. 

The first Lodge workshop will take place on the XX of March in the Saudi filmmaking hub of AlUla, with the final workshop and presentation of the selected projects taking place during the third edition of the RedSeaIFF, which is scheduled to run from 30 November - 9 December in Jeddah.

This year, The Lodge schedule is made up of five workshops, four of them will be in person. The Workshop 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.

This year the Lodge opened to Africa to be included with the Saudi and Arab projects. The winners of the prestigious program will take home a share of $200,000 to help kickstart their projects and build on the key learnings from the workshops. As Saudi Arabia and the wider Arab and African region continues to make name for itself as a hub for cinema, it is a great time for up-and-coming filmmakers to break into the industry, with the support of The Redsea Labs  programs. “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” Ryan Ashore, Head of The Redsea Labs.

The teaching team is led by industry heavyweights, Violeta Bava, Head of Studies, Michel Kammoun, Head of Script Development, and Titus Kreyenberg, Head of Production. With the tutor team including Yorgos Tsourgiannis, Mohamed Ben Attia, Marta Andreu, Magali Negroni and Sabine Sidawi.

Shivani Pandya Malhotra, Managing Director of the Red Sea International Festival stated, “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 Lodge Workshops are scheduled to take place throughout the year in the following locations:

  • 1st Lodge session will take place in AlUla, KSA 14 – 20 March
  • 2nd Lodge session will take place in Ithra, Dammam, KSA 2 – 6 May
  • 3rd Lodge session will take place online 17 – 21 July
  • 4th Lodge session will take place in Torino, Italy 25 – 29 September
  • 5th Lodge session will take place in Jeddah, KSA during the Red Sea Film Festival 30 November – 9 December

The selected projects from Saudi Arabia are:

How To Not Get Married In Saudi Arabia; Writer/Director Ghadeer Binabbas, Producer Emmanuel Mayer

Sukun; Writer/Director Lina Mahmoud, Producer Abdulghani Alsaigh

Mecca Berlin; Writer/Director Mujtaba Saeed, Producer Nadia Eliewat, Co-Writer Ghiath Mhithawi

By Hasnaa’s Side; Writer/Director Amaal Yousef, Producer Ghaidaa Abuazzah

Lost Soul; Writer/Director Sarah Mohammed Almuneef, Producer Séverine Tibi

The selected projects from the Arab region are:

An Endless Night; Writer/Director Mohamed Kassaby, Producer Mohamed Kateb

To Each Their Own; Writer/Director Samer Battikhi, Producer Fatma Racha Shehadeh

Temporary Lives; Writer/Director Wessam Hachicho, Producer Amélie Quéret

The Sun Has Seen Everything; Writer/Director Wissam Tanios, Producer Christian Eid

My Father Killed Bourguiba; Writer/Director Fatma Riahi, Producer Erige Seheri, Co-Writer Louai Haffar

The selected projects from Africa are:

Black Snake; Writer/Director Naishe Nyamubaya, Producer Sue-Ellen Chitunya

Fantastic Tale; Writer/Director Vincho Nchogu, Producer Joshua Olaoluwa

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About The Red Sea Labs

The Red Sea Labs is a platform for filmmakers and writers, offering various programs to help them realize their vision and projects from inception to production. The Lodge is a program launched in collaboration with TorinoFilmLab as part of the Red Sea Labs.

About the Red Sea International Film Festival

Red Sea International Film Festival provides a platform for Arab filmmakers and industry professionals from around the world to connect, host feature and short film competitions, and present a series of events, masterclasses, and workshops to support emerging talent. Running alongside the Festival is the Red Sea Souk, the Festival’s industry market, designed for global exchange and partnerships between the international and Saudi film industries. The four-day market will offer a packed program of curated events to foster co-production, international distribution, and new business opportunities. The Souk offers unbeatable access to the new vibrant Saudi scene, as well as the best of the Arab market through pitching sessions, one-on-one meetings, screenings, industry talks, and networking events.