The Red Sea Film Foundation reported that the funding for the filmmaking development stage under the Red Sea Fund’s second cycle would open submissions from 6 April till 20 April 2022.
The second cycle of the fund will help film producers from Saudi Arabia and Africa to obtain the necessary funding at the beginning phase of developing their scripts and concepts.
The recent adjustments to the year-round fund have been separated into four cycles in light of the increasing submissions. The foundation saw fit to introduce the year-round fund to give upcoming filmmakers the foundation to develop production-ready plays, giving them a hand in driving access to have their production on screens.
The film foundation is looking for authentic and genuine ideas that showcase a variety of themes that educate, inform and entertain the global spectators.
The film foundation further stated that Saudi filmmakers who have submitted before can still submit their short films for additional funding.
In 2021, from the 97 granted projects, 37 projects were allocated to the development stage, which indicates the value this stage has on film production.
In addition, 14 Red Sea Funded films from Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, Iraq, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco were presented at the Red Sea International Festival in December.
The Chairman of the foundation, Mohammed Al-Turki, said, “the development stage of the Red Sea Fund cycle is vital for film producers with authentic stories to tell.”
He further stated that global streaming service providers are rising at an alarming rate; thus, content is becoming a commodity.
