Dirty, Difficult, Dangerous by Wissam Charaf (France, Lebanon, Italy), Contra by Lotfy Nathan (Tunisia, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany), Abdelinho by Hicham Ayouch (Morocco, France)
The Red Sea Souk, an initiative designed to find and join Arab and African filmmakers from the area, will host its first version this December 8 – 11, 2021 as a part of the Red Sea International Film Festival. It will comprise a Project Market, screenings of movies in-progress, an exhibition house internet hosting the principle gamers of the area, high-level panels and trade talks and lots of networking alternatives with trade professionals and resolution makers from around the globe.
The Red Sea Souk is dedicated to supporting filmmakers from the Arab World and Africa and to providing them a platform the place they'll additional develop and finance their initiatives and join with the movie trade. More than 350 professionals will likely be in attendance this December in Jeddah.
Three money prizes are provided by the Red Sea Fund, to be awarded by two juries. The Project Market’s jury will award $25,000 for improvement and $100,000 for manufacturing and the Films In-Progress jury will grant $30,000 for post-production. Participating initiatives are additionally eligible for added awards funded by the Red Sea Souk’s sponsors and companions.
The acclaimed jury consists of Palestinian director, author and producer Annemarie Jacir (Wajib, When I Saw You, Salt of the Sea), poet, scriptwriter and founding father of the Saudi Film Festival held in Dammam since 2008, Ahmed AlMulla, basic director of the Fespaco, Alex Moussa Sawadogo and German producer Thanassis Karathanos (The Gravedigger’s Wife, The Man Who Sold His Skin, It Must be Heaven). Two extra jury members will likely be introduced quickly.
Red Sea International Film Festival Artistic Director Edouard Waintrop defined: “In creating the Red Sea Souk, the Festival is continuing to show its dedication to championing new talent that will showcase the diversity of unfamiliar stories and open the doors for industry-backed professional development and networking support. The selected projects for the first edition stand out as bold and compelling narratives that will allow us to better understand the region and beyond. I’m excited to see these projects eventually reach audiences around the world.”
Managing Director Shivani Pandya Malhotra added: “Our aim is to create an established, vibrant film ecosystem that both supports and attracts exciting confirmed and emerging Arab and African talents to develop their projects within an international space, whilst also retaining what is unique and diverse about our burgeoning, young film industry. There is huge potential in the region and the Red Sea Souk is the perfect platform to discover, develop and fund new and exciting writers, directors and producers to further build their presence within the industry and on the global stage.”
Selected movies in post-production for the Red Sea Souk Films in-Progress Workshop are:
Contra by Lotfy Nathan (Tunisia, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany)
Fragments From Heaven by Adnane Baraka (Morocco, France, Qatar)
Abdelinho by Hicham Ayouch (Morocco, France)
Dirty, Difficult, Dangerous by Wissam Charaf (France, Lebanon, Italy)
The Cemetery of Cinema by Thierno Souleymane Diallo (Guinea, France, Senegal)
Selected initiatives for the Red Sea Souk Project Market are:
Coura + Ouleye by Iman Djionne (Senegal)
Akashinga (Working Title) by Naishe Nyamubaya (Zimbabwe, France, Germany, South Africa)
Passing Dreams by Rashid Masharawi (Palestine, United Kingdom, Sweden)
Zaïria by Machérie Ekwa (Congo)
Carnaval by Mohamed Siam (Egypt, Kuwait, France)
Montreal by Ameen Nayfeh (Jordan)
Birthday by Lara Zeidan (Lebanon, France)
Last Trip by Ziad Kalthoum (Syria, Germany, Poland)
The Seasons of Jannet by Mehdi Hmili (Tunisia)
Carnamal by Ali Kalthami (Saudi Arabia)
Aïcha by Mehdi M. Barsaoui (Tunisia, France)
The Project Market may also current the twelve Red Sea Lodge initiatives which have been developed all year long throughout intensive workshops, performed in partnership with the TorinoFilmLab.
The Red Sea Lodge initiatives are:
Arab World:
The Zarqa Girl by Zaid Abu Hamdan (Jordan)
Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo by Khaled Mansour (Egypt)
The Sea Needs to Heave by Zain Duraie (Jordan)
The Day of Wrath: Tales From Tripoli by Rania Rafei (Lebanon)
Road 250 by Haya Alghanim (Kuwait)
It’s A Sad And Beautiful World by Cyril Aris (Lebanon)
Saudi Arabia:
Fiery Eyes by Abduljalil Alnasser
Hala’s Aziz by Jowaher Alamri
Raoya – The Bookeeper by Mahmoud Zaini
The Photographer of Madina by Dalyah Bakheet
Within Sand by Moe Alatawi
Zeba by Abrar Abdulaziz
The first version of the Red Sea International Film Festival will happen in Jeddah KSA, December 6 - 15, 2021. Red Sea Souk actions will run from December 8 - 11, 2021.
