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Contact: Souk@redseafilmfest.com

1. DESCRIPTION

The Project Market is designed to support ten (10) to twelve (12) projects to foster international coproduction and to discover new talents.
The Project Market, dedicated to industry professionals, will take place from December 2 to 5, 2023, in Jeddah as part of the Red Sea Souk, the film market of the Red Sea International Film Festival (the “Festival”).
The Project Market will welcome feature films: fiction, animation, and creative documentary by Directors of African or Arab nationality/origin and currently in a development or production stage (minimum duration of 60’).
A press release will announce the selected projects of films to the international, and regional industry.
The team (Director/Producer) of the selected projects will participate to a workshop with an expert to prepare a creative video pitch (4 minutes maximum video). The workshop will take place on-line
beginning October for a production of a video pitch mid-November 2023.
A book of projects which will be made available on the Festival website and delivered to the professionals attending the Red Sea Souk, will give visibility to the teams and the projects.
The teams (Directors/Producers) of the selected projects will present their creative video pitch to a professional audience on December 2nd, 2023.
One to-one meetings between the projects talents and the professionals attending the Red Sea Souk will be organized on December 3, 4 and 5, 2023.
Additional networking events, encounters, and meetings will allow Directors and Producers of the selected projects to interact directly with a wide range of industry decision-makers.
The selected projects talents who do not speak English will benefit from the service of an interpreter hired by the Red Sea Souk.

2. AWARDS

All the selected projects will compete for three main awards offered by the Red Sea Fund and granted by an international Jury:
– Development Award: 35,000.00 USD cash prize
– Special Mention Award: 25,000.00 USD cash prize
– Production Award : 100,000.00 USD cash prize
A selected project, already supported by the Red Sea Fund, is also eligible for the aforementioned awards, the Fund support and the Market awards being cumulative.
A project of film submitted to the Fund but not selected may be considered by the Selection Committee to participate to the Project Market.
All selected projects will also compete for awards to be granted by several souk sponsors. These sponsors’ awards will be announced mid-November.
All the winners will be announced during the Red Sea Souk Award Ceremony that will be held on the last day of the Red Sea Souk, Dec 5th 2023.

3. SUBMISSIONS ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The submission of the projects is made through the Red Sea Souk application process.
The call for projects will open on June 12th , 2023, and will close on August 18th, 2023. A link for the application will be available on the Festival’s website under the dedicated tab named “Red Sea Souk”.

Please pay attention to the following eligibility criteria:

  1. Directors must have African or Arab nationality/origin.
  2. Script and artistic dossier must be available in English.
  3. Projects must be submitted by the Delegate Company production for the application.
  4. Only projects, which the shooting is not started before the closing of the Project Market in Jeddah, will be eligible.
  5. The Director and Producer will be available to participate for the full duration of the Project Market in Jeddah.

Special attention will be given to projects with an international market potential and suitable for international co-production.

Projects with Producer or Co-producer from African or Arab nationality/origin involved, will be much appreciated.

Projects without any previous presentation in other international markets will have a priority.

4. APPLICATION FILE

The following documents need to be submitted in English:

  • Logline
  • Synopsis
  • Film’s chain of titles
  • Script and/or treatment
  • Director(s) and Producer(s) already attached to the project with their biographies.
  • Director’s note of intention
  • Producer’s note
  • Cast and crew list (if available)
  • Financial plan and indication of sources of financing confirmed, if any.
  • A summary budget with main chapters figures detailed.
    • For projects in development, a Development Budget
  • Project completion timelines
  • Links to the previous work(s) of the Director
  • Mood board/Storyboard

Any other materials that would support the application.

5. SELECTION PROCESS

The selection of the projects is made by a committee composed of professionals. Ten to twelve projects will be selected. No justifications will be given for any refusal of the project.
The selection results will be communicated to the selected teams by early October 2023.
Producers of the selected projects will confirm their acceptance of the Red Sea Souk invitation within a week. This confirmation is binding for Parties and will involve the acceptance of all regulations
established by the Red Sea Souk.
Notably, the following conditions and undertakings will apply:

  1. The Red Sea Souk will cover travel expenses and accommodation for six nights, for the Director, and for one Producer, for each of the selected projects (arrival foreseen on November 30, Departure December 6, 2023).
  2. The documentation required by the Red Sea Souk for the Book of Projects, one to one meetings platform and website will be duly completed and sent no later than mid-October 2023.
  3. The invitation made to each selected project will remain strictly confidential until the official announcement will be published.
  4. The complete program and all activities of the Project Market are exclusively decided by the Red Sea Souk.
  5. No press will be given access to the screenings of the video pitch

6. CREDITS

As a binding condition, all selected projects must include the authorized Red Sea Souk logo and the following mention in the closing credits of the film:


“With the support of the Red Sea Souk Project Market 2023”


The projects that will be awarded the Red Sea Souk Development Award, the Red Sea Souk Jury Mention Award or the Red Sea Souk Production Award must display alongside the Red Sea Souk Logo with the appropriate mention:


“Red Sea Souk Production Award 2023”
“Red Sea Souk Development Award 2023”
“Red Sea Souk Special Mention Award 2023”


and follow all other obligations with respect to credits which may be requested by the Red Sea Souk.
If other film partners appear in the opening credits, the Red Sea Souk logo and the award mention must also be included in the opening credits.

7. GENERAL TERMS The project owners must ensure they are legitimately entitled to enter and represent the project at the Project Market. Participation to the Project Market constitutes unconditional adherence to the present Red Sea Souk rules and regulations. All doubts arising from the interpretation of these rules and regulations will be solved by the Festival. The Festival reserves the right to settle any case not covered by the present or the Festival’s regulations, and to waive them in special and well-motivated instances.