Red Sea International Film Festival opens applications for second Red Sea Lodge

The programme will award two projects a $100,000 grant each and a premiere at the next festival

The annual Red Sea Lodge opens applications to Saudi and Arab filmmakers. Red Sea International Film Festival

The Red Sea International Film Festival has opened applications for its second Red Sea Lodge, a professional programme for Saudi and Arab directors, producers and scriptwriters.

In collaboration with TorinoFilmLab, the eight-month programme will select projects for creative development and mentorship.

This year, the programme will include a number of workshops that touch on every aspect of a project's development such as scriptwriting as well as production, financing, sales and marketing.

The workshops will also be an opportunity for participants to work with internationally experienced experts in the fields of directing, cinematography, sound editing, post-production and sales.

By the end of the programme, two projects will be awarded a $100,000 grant each and a premiere at the next Red Sea International Film Festival.

Last year, two projects received production prizes of $500,000 each. Bullets and Bread (Egypt), by Mohammed Hammad, Kholoud Saad and Mohamed Hefzy, won the Arab project award and Sharshaf (Saudi Arabia), by Hind Alfahhad, Hana Alomair and Talal Ayel, won the Saudi Arabian project.

The inaugural film festival was scheduled to take place in March last year in the old town of Jeddah, but the event was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. A new date for the festival is yet to be announced.

Applications to Red Sea Lodge are open until Saturday, February 27. For more information, visit redseafilmfest.com/red-sea-lodge