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Frequently asked
questions

How do I apply?

Complete the online application form available on the website
The applications will be available as follows:

  • February 6th to February 21st (Post-production)
  • April 6th to April 30th (Development)
  • June 6th to July 6th (Production)
  • August 6th to August 21st (Post-production)
What are the eligibility criteria for a director?

â—Ź For Saudi directors, the director must be of Saudi nationality or origin.
â—Ź For Arab directors, the director must be of Arab nationality or origin.
â—Ź For African directors, the director must strictly be of African nationality.

Can I apply for more than one project?

Yes.

What is a logline?

A logline is a brief summary of a film that states the central conflict of the story, providing both a synopsis of the plot and an emotional "hook" to stimulate interest. It is usually one sentence, approximately 30 words.

What is a synopsis?

A synopsis is a brief description of the key elements of the story without dialogue. The Red Sea Fund requires a synopsis of a maximum of 350 words with spaces.

What is a director’s vision?

The director’s vision provides information about the creative approach of the director and should offer a strong sense of how the film will look.

What is a director’s motivation (video)?

Director’s motivation is a one-minute video of the director explaining his/her vision of the film itself.

What do you mean by biography?

A biography is presented as written text describing the educational background and work experience of the director/producer.

What is the difference between a financial plan and a budget?

â—Ź Financial Plan: The document in which you specify how much money you need. It should include the financiers who have already committed; those who have been approached whose response is still pending; and those who have been identified but are yet to be formally approached. You are basically showing where the money comes from and that your sources of income are reliable.
â—Ź Budget: The sheet that helps you map out your key expenses and plan for the weeks and months to come. A budget includes all costs relating to the development, production and post-production of a film, for instance, the costs of acquiring the script; payments to talent; and production costs.
â—Ź Both documents should be submitted.

What is the chain of titles?

Chain of title is essentially all those documents needed to show that the filmmaker owns his/her film and has secured all the rights necessary to distribute it.

What is a rough cut (post-production)?

A rough cut is the first cut that can be presented to the film editor. In other words, it's like a filmmaker's version of the first working draft of a written document. The document isn't yet ready to be presented, but it is an in-progress version of a product that needs refining. If the language of the film is neither Arabic nor English, English subtitles are required.

Are there any caps/limits to the amount of funding?

The grants are awarded on a case-by-case basis decided by our selection committee.

  • For development projects: Up to USD 25,000
  • Production projects: Up to USD 500,000
  • Post-production projects: Up to USD 100,000
Recoupment? (Only applicable for production phase)

The Red Sea Fund will decide, on a case-by-case basis and given the amount granted, whether or not it is recoupable. The recoupment plan is eligible only after the film has generated revenue after deducting project budget for a period of maximum 5 years and/or capped to maximum support amount. Recoupment will be a percentage of the total revenue compared to the support amount and the total project amount.

Can I apply the same project in different fund stages?

The same project can be submitted to all 3 fund stages. However, a selected project in the development fund can only be submitted to either production or post-production.