RED SEA LODGE
In collaboration with the TorinoFilmLab, the Lodge hand-picked twelve emerging filmmakers, pairing each with an experienced mentor to support and enhance their work throughout the creative process. Designed for projects at any stage of development, the comprehensive program is for directors and producers, with scriptwriters if on board, to hone and further all aspects of their vision. Every stage of filmmaking will be explored, from script consultations to work 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. Structured around diverse, stimulating exchanges with colleagues and mentors, the program is designed to enrich projects through multiple approaches and perspectives.
The training and development process will culminate during the Red Sea International Film Festival, with all participants publicly presenting to an audience of international producers, sales agents, and other film industry professionals. Further insight will be granted through one-to-one meetings with decision-makers, while significant visibility will be gained thanks to the Red Sea Lodge Catalogue and network. All final projects will vie for a $500,000 production prize, with the two winning projects enjoying their world premiere at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2021.
01.
Selected
Projects
An international committee chose the winning teams out of 120 submissions, drawn from 16 countries. Female directors helm 5 out of the 12 successful projects, and 5 of the projects have female producers attached. The selection includes six Saudi teams alongside projects from Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, Iraq, and Lebanon, demonstrating a commitment to furthering new work from the Arab world.
The committee comprised of industry veterans, including: Mahmoud Sabbagh (Festival Director, Red Sea International Film Festival), Julie Bergeron (Head of the Red Sea Souk), Antoine Khalife (Director of the Arab Program, Red Sea International Film Festival), Jane Williams (Head of Industry, TorinoFilmLab), and Savina Neirotti (Executive Director, TorinoFilmLab).
They were supported by a team of readers, including Fahad Alestaa (Saudi Scriptwriter and Film Critic), and leading media figure Layaly Badr (Arab Radio & TV Network). Saudi producer Jumana Zahid leads the Festival’s development program, as Manager of the Red Sea Lodge. Through unique storytelling styles, the Saudi projects deal with significant socio-political and economic underpinnings, including the discovery of oil and the siege of the Holy Mosque in 1979. The projects also explore the position of women and modern-day challenges to mental health, such as loneliness and isolation.
Project 1
Tender but not nostalgic, intimate but not naïve, Oualid Mouaness’ first feature film entwines collective and individual histories.
Directed by: Laila Abbas (Palestine)
Written by: Laila Abbas (Palestine)
Produced by: Laila Abbas (Palestine)
Co-produced by: Hanna Attallah (Palestine), Gary Cranner (Norway)
Project 2
Tender but not nostalgic, intimate but not naïve, Oualid Mouaness’ first feature film entwines collective and individual histories.
Directed by: Laila Abbas (Palestine)
Written by: Laila Abbas (Palestine)
Produced by: Laila Abbas (Palestine)
Co-produced by: Hanna Attallah (Palestine), Gary Cranner (Norway)
Project 3
Tender but not nostalgic, intimate but not naïve, Oualid Mouaness’ first feature film entwines collective and individual histories.
Directed by: Laila Abbas (Palestine)
Written by: Laila Abbas (Palestine)
Produced by: Laila Abbas (Palestine)
Co-produced by: Hanna Attallah (Palestine), Gary Cranner (Norway)
Project 4
Tender but not nostalgic, intimate but not naïve, Oualid Mouaness’ first feature film entwines collective and individual histories.
Directed by: Laila Abbas (Palestine)
Written by: Laila Abbas (Palestine)
Produced by: Laila Abbas (Palestine)
Co-produced by: Hanna Attallah (Palestine), Gary Cranner (Norway)
02.
Red Sea Lodge Winning Projects
The Red Sea Lodge Production Grant for a Saudi Project was awarded to Sharshaf by Hind Alfahhad, written by Hana Alomair and produced by Talal Ayel. The jury said they were enamoured by the “Touching and strong female character, and the bonds in a relationship that can bring us together and tear us apart.” They were also intrigued that it was set in “A period of Saudi Arabia’s history the world knows so little about, unveiled to us by Hind Alfahhad.”
.
Hind Alfahhad’s Sharshaf 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 spend their honeymoon in Cairo. Sharshaf is a romantic drama that follows Haila as she gets to know what she wants through the magic of cinema and how this discovery is challenged later as extremism invades the society.
The Red Sea Lodge Award for an Arab Project was awarded to Bullets & Bread by Mohammad Hammad, produced by Kholoud Saad and Mohamed Hefzy. Mohammed Hammad’s Bullets & Bread is based on the story of the writer Tamer Abdrab Elnaby. About paths were not meant to cross and a true friendship that grows out of it.
The jury enjoyed the dynamic at the film’s heart which they described as “Soldier and Gypsy; Laurel and Hardy; Friendship and Adversity. We can’t wait to be part of this road trip, this cinematic voyage.”
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 jury gave special recognition to the project and stated “The film has huge potential and we hope that Hussam AlHulwah and Mohammad Alhamoud can continue to develop the project and bring it to fruition.”