Red Sea International Film Festival is set to launch a programme dedicated to developing animated features.
Previously, animation projects were able to apply for the Red Sea Fund, which provides grants to support films that spotlight narratives and new talents emerging from Arab and African filmmakers. They could also be submitted to the Red Sea Lodge development and mentorship programme.
However, animation was excluded from this year’s Lodge selection as Red Sea Labs organisers forged plans to establish a programme focussed solely on animated projects.
“Animation requires a different set of skills and it’s unrealistic to put it in the same workshops with fiction and documentary projects,, which is why we need a separate programme,” said Ryan Ashore, head of Red Sea Labs. “We are looking at how many projects can participate and from which countries.”
He added that the programme may open to filmmakers from other regions, beyond the Middle East and Africa.
Animated titles to receive Red Sea Fund support include Rony Hotin’s Sidi Kaba And The Gateway Home and Haifaa Al Mansour’s Miss Camel.
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