• Get together a minimum of two and up to five people. (We welcome entries from aspiring filmmakers of all levels – we embrace first-timers too!) 

• Ages 18 to 25 – Saudi nationals or Saudi residents. 

• The team leader must submit the form on behalf of the team. 

• The team leader – the director – must be a Saudi national or Saudi resident. 

We want to know more about you, your motivations, and your creative vision — send us a letter (in English) of no more than 1000 words. 

• Tell us why you want to be part of the 48Hr Film Challenge  

• Share your motivations for applying and what inspires your creative work  

• Tell us about your vision as a filmmaker and what you hope to explore through this experience  

• What would you bring to the challenge and your team?  

• Why do you want the opportunity to compete for an international residency in France?  

A short script (This script could be something you will write with the suggested themes below, or a script you have written previously) – submitting a script is optional. 

Links to previous film or multimedia work – if available. 

Completed and submitted this form by the 14th of June 2026. 

• Teams are going to be shooting a short film of 3–7 minutes duration, it can be fiction or nonfiction, narrative or documentary. 

• It’ll explore at least one of the following themes: de-coding, playing, creating, or thinking. 

• There will also be a sub-theme to include – teams can choose from memory, time, technology, or breath. 

• First things first, teams will enjoy a two-day online briefing, mentoring, and workshops program. This will be an invaluable learning experience where participants will learn about everything that goes into writing, producing, and filming a short. It will equip teams with the knowledge and technical guidelines to complete the challenge. It’ll take place on July 10–11, 2026, and all participants must attend (except for the writing workshop, which will be specifically for the writer and director) – participation may not be eligible otherwise. 

• Teams need to have their own financial resources to produce the film – that includes all necessary funding and equipment. (Teams can use any camera for filming, including smartphone cameras.) 

• Shooting the challenge will take place on July 17–18, 2026. There’s a twist! All shortlisted teams will face an imaginative challenge – 24 hours before the shoot, we’ll introduce a new element, and teams will have to include it in their films. It could be anything – from a small object or artifact to a more significant scenic element like a tree. 

• This is a creative challenge – it demands new work! That means teams cannot reuse a film, script (or any footage!) previously developed. 

• Film audio must be in English. However, teams can shoot their films in Arabic, but they must be subtitled in English or French the day after the challenge. 

• If a film was shot in English (or without dialogue), no translation will be required. 

• Once production wraps, the team leader will submit the film on behalf of the team. 

• After the shoot, all organizing partners (Alliance Française, the French Consulate, and the Red Sea International Film Festival) will have the right to use the film for screening, marketing, and communication purposes. 

• The jury will review all films, selecting two winning teams to receive the 48Hr Film Challenge Trophy. 

• “Professional Days” will take place on September 16–17, 2026. 

• The screening of the films and the award ceremony will take place on September 17, 2026. 

• The two winning films will also be screened at the upcoming edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival. 

• The two winning team leaders will receive an international residency opportunity in France in 2027. 

• In the event of unforeseen circumstances or force majeure causing the competition to be canceled, the organizers cannot be held responsible vis-à-vis the candidates, for any reason whatsoever, and will be exempt from all associated costs or reimbursements. 

• For reasons of organization and consistency, these regulations may be amended. In the event of any substantial changes, the organizers will notify participants as soon as possible. 

• The winners undertake to transfer, without reservation, the copyright they hold in the works produced for the competition to the organizers. They also agree to the reproduction of their work, for the purposes of the competition, by any digital, sound, audiovisual, or multimedia means. 

• Any content considered inappropriate or plagiarized may lead to disqualification from the 48Hr Film Challenge. 

• Filmmakers agree to participate in interviews, photography, and promotional video content required by the Red Sea International Film Festival. Shortlisted participants may appear across promotional campaigns, including media, social media, and partner platforms related to the challenge. 

• Applying to the 48Hr Film Challenge constitutes consent for participants’ image and likeness to be used for promotional purposes.