Frequently asked questions

A synopsis is a brief description of the key elements of the whole story, without dialogue. The Feature Program requires a 1-page synopsis of a maximum of  1,000 characters with spaces.

A treatment is a written description of the whole story without dialogue. It is more detailed than a synopsis and should read like a short story told in the present tense describing events as they happen. It should include information on the cinematic style, locations, and motivation of the director. The Feature Program requires a treatment of 5–10 pages, of a maximum of 18,000 characters.

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 and why this film is important to the filmmaker. It can be represented by a mood board, a project book (a few pages of a storyboard, a color script, a series of drawings or photographs), or a video (maximum 3 minutes). It visually complements the written concept and describes the project through images.

The biography can be written as a text describing the educational background and work experience of the applicants.

The filmography should be presented in the form of URLs of previous works including the title, year, the length of the film, the genre (documentary, fiction, or animation), and the role of the applicant in the production.

The Feature Program asks for a minimum of two examples of previous works, to be included in the application. Pieces need to be seen in their entirety, as such, showreels are not accepted. The online link to your film needs to be available for three months after the deadline and must be subtitled in English. The work should demonstrate the applicant’s ability. Ideally, applicants should submit examples that complement the proposed project; it is possible to explain the relationship between your previous films and the proposed project in the director’s treatment section of your application.

This document describes the cast you would like to involve in your project or actors who have already indicated an interest. It is not necessary to send a letter of intent from actors, but photo references can be sent to support the casting idea document (1 page, maximum 350 words or 1,800 characters).

A financial plan explains the strategy to fund the film through all stages from development through to completion. 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. It should include all financiers, producers, co-producers, funds, awards, etc. In the written explanation, you can provide the logic of your plan.

The purpose of this document is to state that, if selected to participate in the program, the director and producer mutually agree to complete the submitted project according to the deadlines and requirements of the call. A memo deal between the two parties is sufficient.

If the project has previously participated in film training courses and development programs please list the programs. This gives the selection team an idea of the development of the project and the team.

This video message from the director presents themselves and their work. Each director is free to choose the best way to realize it, though the video must be presented in English - If recorded in Arabic, the video should contain subtitles. The video should be a maximum of three minutes long.

It is not necessary for the proposed project to have a script in order to be considered for the Feature Program. However, though it is not a required part of the application, if there is one already written, you can submit a copy in Arabic or English.