A dozen promising filmmakers from Saudi Arabia, the wider Arab region and Africa will reach Jeddah this week for the Red Sea Souk. Following an intensive 10-month journey developing their projects as part of the Red Sea Lodge mentorship programme, the directors will be pitch and take a step closer to transforming their ideas into reality.
Joining the programme “was a turning point” for Saudi filmmaker Sarah Almuneef, who is presenting comedy drama The Middle One. “I started with just a treatment and now have the first draft script,” she says.
Held in collaboration with TorinoFilmLab and supported by Film AlUla, the projects will compete for one of four Lodge production awards, each worth $50,000. Beyond the prizes, the filmmakers benefit from the opportunity to approach creative minds from the global industry.
“Being among this community of talented filmmakers has been a true gift,” says Jordanian filmmaker Samer ZM Battikhi, who will pitch Arab satire The Girl And The Missing Bed. “The workshops, masterclasses and personalised sessions expanded our perspectives and enlightened us to think beyond conventional boundaries and discover our unique voices.”
Lebanese writer/director Wissam Tanios — who has developed Beirut-set drama The Sun Sees Everything — says: “One of the most important things was that the programme put us in touch with a consultant who helped us develop the project and gave us a big push forward.”
The Lodge was opened to African projects for the first time this year. “We are hoping to extend to another region next year,” reveals Ryan Ashore, head of Red Sea Labs.
Successful projects to emerge from the programme include Amjad Al Rasheed’s Inshallah A Boy, which went through the Lodge in 2020. It premiered in Critics’ Week at Cannes this year, winning two awards, and was selected as Jordan’s entry to the Academy Awards. Now the film has come full circle, playing in competition at this year’s Red Sea International Film Festival.
Red Sea Lodge 2023 Projects
An Endless Night (Egy)
Dir/scr Mohamed Kassaby
Prod Mohamed Kateb
Set in Cairo, this neo-noir drama follows a journalist on the hunt for a mythical healer in the hope of curing his debilitating illness, inherited from his deceased father. It marks the feature directorial debut of Egypt’s Kassaby and has gone through the Beirut Cinema Platform, Durban FilmMart and Cinephilia’s advanced screenwriting lab among others. It is produced by Alexandria-based Varphi Studio.
Black Snake (Zim)
Dir/scr Naishe Nyamubaya
Prod Sue-Ellen Chitunya
This drama centres on a family eager to start a new life in a rural mountain village in Zimbabwe who fall under suspicion when their arrival coincides with the mysterious appearance of a tree. It is the second feature project of director Nyamubaya, who is set to shoot debut The Hyena’s Song in 2024, after winning the jury prize at the Red Sea Souk in 2021 and being selected for Cannes’ Cinefondation l’Atelier. Producer Chitunya has credits for post-production on Marvel Studios titles including Black Panther and Avengers: Endgame.
By Hasnaa’s Side (Saudi)
Dir/scr Amaal Youssif
Prod Ghaidaa Abuazzah
An 11-year-old girl flees an underage marriage in this Saudi social drama, setting off on a transformative journey after jumping into the truck of a vegetable farmer. Jeddah-born, Egypt-based filmmaker Youssif has worked on more than 150 commercials. By Hasnaa’s Side, produced by Wildflower Films, has secured financial backing from Red Sea, Ithraa, CDF, AFAC, Doha Film Institute and MAFF.
Fantastic Tale (Nigeria)
Dir/scr Vincho Nchogu
Prod Josh Olaoluwa
This Nigerian fantasy adventure centres on an eccentric child named Sweetie, who repairs an old boat and sails down a perilous lagoon in a bid to catch a mystical pink fish that can make him wealthy enough to bring his sister home. It will mark the feature directorial debut of Nchogu, who produced the 2017 Cannes Critics’ Week title Gabriel And The Mountain, which won two awards. Producer Olaoluwa’s credits include upcoming Netflix limited series Oloture and Prime Video series Grind.
The Girl And The Missing Bed (Jor-Leb)
Dir/scr Samer ZM Battikhi
Prod Fatma Racha Shehadeh
This Arabic satire follows a young woman who is desperately looking for her boyfriend after arriving at a bureaucratic compound that processes dead people onto the next life. Jordanian filmmaker Battikhi previously made shorts including Kroka, which is playing in competition at Red Sea, and Arnoos. US-Jordanian filmmaker Shehadeh produces for Lebanon‑based Roarpark Films.
In The Beginning, It Is The End (Saudi)
Dir/scr Ghadeer Binabbas
Prod Ahmed Alerwi
After dedicating her life to taking care of her father, a 65-year-old woman unexpectedly encounters love in this Saudi romantic comedy. The feature directorial debut of writer/director Binabbas, whose most recent short was Brush My Hair, the project is produced by Alerwi, who studied at the American Film Institute and previously worked in marketing at Middle East studio Telfaz11.
Mecca, Berlin (Saudi-UAE-Ger)
Dir/scr Mujtaba Saeed
Co-writer Ghiath Al Mhitawi
Prod Nadia Eliewat
A family secret is revealed when a son journeys from Mecca to Berlin, seeking treatment for his father’s cancer. Hiring a Syrian refugee nurse to help, the young man and woman find refuge in each other. Saudi filmmaker Saeed has lived in Germany since 2006 and made award-winning shorts, such as Zawal, alongside directing episodes of MBC drama Love Without Limits and feature documentary The Last Day Of Ramadan. Producer Eliewat’s credits include Wendy Bednarz’s Yellow Bus, which premiered at Toronto this year.
The Middle One (Saudi-Fr)
Dir/scr Sarah Almuneef
Prod Séverine Tibi
A young woman from Riyadh bucks familial and societal expectations in this comedy drama. It marks the feature directorial debut of Riyadh-based Almuneef, who attended the acclaimed La Fémis film school in Paris and whose short Acceptance was screened at the Berlinale in 2018. US-based French producer Tibi co-founded Cannes-based Sevana Films, which will produce The Middle One, and she was selected to join the Sundance Producers Summit in 2022.
My Father Killed Bourguiba (Tun-Qat)
Dir/scr Fatma Riahi
Co-writer Louai Haffar
Prod Sarra Ben Hassan
This documentary depicts the journey of Tunisian director Riahi in search of the story of her father, who took part in a military coup more than 30 years ago in Tunisia. Riahi’s debut feature was A Haunted Past, which screened at International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam in 2018. Producer Ben Hassan’s credits include 2020 Oscar-nominated short Brotherhood by Meryam Joobeur; she is currently in post‑production on Joobeur’s feature debut Motherhood.
The Night Whisperer (Saudi)
Dir/scr Lina Mahmoud
Prod Chris Hanada
This Saudi thriller centres on a lost traveller with no memory, who arrives at an isolated desert village where the inhabitants are cursed with a mysterious insomnia. It is the feature directorial debut of actress‑turned-filmmaker Mahmoud, who previously wrote and directed short film Sarmadya. Producer Hanada is the co-founder of US production company Retrofit Films and began his career at Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner’s Cruise/Wagner Productions. Retrofit Films’ recent feature credits include Tom Huang’s Dealing With Dad, which played festivals including NYAFF in 2022.
The Sun Sees Everything (Leb)
Dir/scr Wissam Tanios
Prod Christian Eid
This Beirut-set drama follows a mother whose life is shaken when the father of her two children dies, followed by the discovery of a debt she needs to pay off. It marks the first fiction feature of Tanios, whose documentary We Are From There premiered at International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2020, and won two awards at Cairo. Producer Eid of Beirut-based Abbout Productions has credits on more than 15 features including Memory Box, which premiered in competition at the Berlinale in 2021.
Temporary Lives (Fr-Nor-Syria)
Dir/scr Wessam Hachicho
Prod Amélie Quéret
This father-son story centres on a Syrian teenager who reluctantly seeks asylum in Norway to honour his father’s wishes, but sabotages their case. Syria-born, Norway-based Hachicho makes her feature directorial debut with Temporary Lives, after directing shorts Ola and The One Who Sees. Producer Quéret is the founder of French outfit Respiro Productions and most recently worked on Stéphane Ly-Cuong’s upcoming musical In The Nguyen Kitchen.
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