French film producer Nadia Turincev, the highly-respected producer, commissioner and writer Meinolf Zurhorst and the award-winning Egyptian film director Yousry Nasrallah shall make up the jury presiding over the twelve projects taking part in the inaugural Red Sea Lodge Residency.
The jury will award two production grants worth $500,000 each in an online ceremony that will take place on September 25.
Nasrallah commented, ”It is with great pleasure that I accept the responsibility to be part of the jury of the Red Sea Film Lodge. I sincerely hope that this generous production grant will help Arab filmmakers and Arab cinema reach new heights.”
“As a commissioner for ARTE, I have overseen the development of between 200 and 300 films,” said Zurhorst. “In recent years”, I have been particularly enamoured with the inroads made by Arab films, which makes me excited at the prospect of learning about these exciting new projects from Saudi and the Arab world.”
Turincev said, “The Red Sea Lodge production grant is a fantastic opportunity for Arab filmmakers to bring their projects to life, giving the world a chance to discover new emerging talents.”
The Red Sea Lodge Residency resumes as a digital event on the 19th of October, The twelve projects, six from Saudi and six from the Arab world will take part in events leading up to the granting of the two production awards on September 25.
All twelve of the selected projects will take part in the digital meetings, that shall prepare them to pitch their films to the TorinoFilmLab digital meeting, an International co-production forum featuring projects developed through the TFL programmes – ScriptLab, FeatureLab, SeriesLab and the Red Sea Lodge. The TorinoFilmLab digital meeting will take place in November 2020.
In collaboration with the TorinoFilmLab, the Lodge hand-picked twelve emerging filmmakers and paired each with an experienced mentor to support and enhance their work throughout the creative process. Designed for projects at any stage of development, the comprehensive program is for directors and producers, with scriptwriters if onboard, to hone and further all aspects of their vision.
TorinoFilmLab Executive Director Savina Neirotti says, “The collaboration with the Red Sea Film Lodge has exceeded all expectations, even with the interruption caused by the unforeseeable global pandemic. The twelve projects have developed and evolved into fantastic projects and we are sure a large number of them will end up as films, whether they are awarded the production grant or not”.
Every stage of filmmaking is explored, from script consultations to work with experts in the fields of directing, cinematography and sound, through to post-production as well as a commercial focus on financing, sales, and audience engagement. Structured around diverse, stimulating exchanges with colleagues and mentors, the program is designed to enrich projects through multiple approaches and perspectives.
The final phase of the Lodge and the awarding of the grants was due to take place at the Red Sea International Film Festival in March, which was unable to take place due to coronavirus and the declaration of a global pandemic.
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