The Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF), in collaboration with Alliance Française, the Consulate General of France in Jeddah, the Embassy of France in Saudi Arabia, and VOX Cinemas have announced the 48-Hour Film Challenge. 

 

This challenge is open to all aspiring filmmakers in the kingdom, both Saudis and Saudi residents aged 18 to 25. The participants will undergo two days of intensive technical workshops and mentorship, including a writing workshop with Lebanese scriptwriter and filmmaker Sophie Boutros, a filmmaking workshop with Saudi filmmaker Mohamed Al Salman, a producing workshop with Egyptian producer and filmmaker Hala Lotfy and a cinematography workshop with the Jordanian director of photography Samer El Nimri. 

 

Following the workshops, the teams will embark on a thrilling race against the clock, making a film from idea to edit within 48 hours. 

 

Winners

The winning team leaders will be rewarded with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – a residency at the International Short Films Festival in Clermont-Ferrand (France), in 2024. The winning films will also be shown in the next edition of the Red Sea Film Festival in December 2023. 

 

Additionally, the French Consulate will offer 15 shortlisted team members three days of professional workshops (August 25,26 and 27) in Jeddah with experts from France and Saudi Arabia. The professional workshops will include screenings of short films and discussions about the industry, 

 

The competition is designed to push the boundaries of tradition and recognise the innovators in independent filmmaking. 

 

Jury

The winners will be chosen by a jury composed of world-renowned filmmakers and film professionals, including Saudi filmmaker Shahad Ameen, Egyptian actress Amina Khalil and French film maker & writer Professor Alexandre Tylski. 

 

The jury will honour and reward cinematic work presented at the 48 Hour Film Challenge that breaks new ground and encourages Saudi and regional filmmaking.-- TradeArabia News Service