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Terms And Conditions

The Feature Program nurtures the next generation of filmmakers from Saudi, the Arab world, Africa, and Asia, in partnership with the TorinoFilmLab and is sponsored by Film AlUla.

After a successful fourth edition, The Feature Program returns in 2024 better and bigger than ever. The intensive ten-month program is devoted to emerging filmmakers on their first or second feature; more established names with truly daring new concepts and approaches will be considered.

In 2024, the program will include five workshops – the first one exclusively addressed to selected Saudi teams, and the other four to all the selected projects (please find dates and descriptions below).

Following the intensive development process over ten months, teams will have the opportunity to pitch at the Festival’s Project Market and compete for The Feature Program Awards, where winners will share a pot of  $200,000 in award prizes, based on merit, and an Arab Premiere at Red Sea International Film Festival.

Additional funding opportunities for the films will be available. More information to be provided by the Red Sea Souk. Stay tuned through our social media channels for more info.

Following the program, teams will have a fully developed project including a logline, synopsis, treatment, and script, plus a budget, director’s statement, producer’s note, production and post-production schedule, financing strategy, and a financing plan.

Each team will understand the process of project development and will be equipped with the necessary tools to fully realize this and future projects. By providing filmmakers with the confidence to work effectively in the international marketplace, the program gives them the insight to move their careers to the next level and get their films made.

A maximum of 16 projects will be selected; with projects coming from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Asia and Africa.

Saudi projects are films with Saudi/Saudi resident writers or directors. A Saudi element in the story is preferred.

Applications for Saudi projects are accepted until January 20, 2024, 11:59 PM KSA time, and Arab, African, and Asian applications until January 30, 2024, 11:59 PM KSA time.

Full terms, conditions, and application requirements are outlined below. For further information, please contact: [email protected]

Who Can Apply?
  • Applications must be made in teams of 2 or 3, comprising:
  1. A writer-director and producer or
  2. A director, a writer and producer
  • The director should be a Saudi/Saudi Resident or of Arab nationality/origin; African nationality/origin; or Asian nationality/origin.
  • Aimed at first or second-time feature directors, applications from more established voices will be considered if they demonstrate daring new ideas and approaches.
  • The producer needs to have demonstrable production experience (previous work).
  • A screenwriter must have experience with realized scripts in any form, including shorts, TV, web series, or theater.
  • The team must confirm their full availability for all the workshops and sessions as per the schedule outlined below, as well as at the Red Sea International Film Festival, once the dates are announced.
  • The working language of the workshops, meetings, and events is English; therefore, English proficiency is a must.
What kind of film project
  • Arab projects, directed by an Arab director with an Arab story.
  • Saudi projects should be directed by a Saudi/Saudi Resident director, with a Saudi Element in the story.
  • African projects, directed by an African director with an African story.
  • Asian projects, directed by an Asian director with an Asian story.
  • Submissions can be for any film form – fiction, creative documentary, experimental animation, or any other.
  • Considering the prize award, the producers must be able to demonstrate suggested funding for the remainder.
The Program
  • Selected participants will follow an intensive project development program scheduled across ten The program will explore projects from all perspectives including script consultations and work with experts in the fields of directing, cinematography, sound, editing post-production, financing and sales, and audience engagement. Producers will enjoy a dedicated program tailored to their development.
  • All training will take the form of group and one-to-one sessions and include presentations, masterclasses, screenings, and case studies.
  • All team members must be committed to participating in the full duration of the training, including attendance at all sessions, meeting the demands of the program as outlined by mentors and course moderators, as well as making themselves available to work on their projects between workshops and meeting the required deadlines. If for any unforeseen reasons, the participant is unable to attend, they should communicate with the Labs department for evaluation of the situation to assist.

The selected project teams will attend the workshops, as listed here below:

Prelude : 29 February – 4 March 2024 (5 days Online); For Saudi projects only. Introduction to the key aspects of project development. A wider number of projects will be selected for review, which will then result in narrowing the number into 5 projects only.

Workshop One

Project Development & Production – An introduction to the program, the tutors, and all the selected project teams (Saudi, Arab, Asian, and African). Exploring the dramatic potential of the projects; an overview of the role and business of the producer.

When? 22nd-29th April, (7 days in person)

Where? AlUla

Following the completion of this workshop participants will be given assignments to continue developing their projects for a deadline in advance of the next workshop

Workshop Two

Visualization - taking the script from the page to the screen working with film professionals including directors and cinematographers to understand how to realize the script visually.  Production program and script development work continues.

When? 25th-30th  June,  (6 days in person);

Where? Location to be confirmed

Following the workshop participants will continue to work on their treatments/scripts and production documents for a deadline in advance of the next workshop

Workshop Three

Production and Post-Production – participants have the opportunity to discuss their projects with editors, sound designers, and post-production specialists. Production program and script development work continues.

When? 23rd-30th September (8 days in person)

Where? Location To be confirmed

Participants continue to work on the scripts, production documents, and materials for the Book of Projects and Red Sea Souk Competition.

Workshop Four

Pitching & Red Sea Festival Preparation – participants will work on their pitches in preparation for the Festival and for the one-to-one meetings at the Red Sea Souk.

When?  End of November /beginning of December (According to Red Sea International Film Festival dates)

Where? Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)

Outcomes

  • By the end of the program the teams will have all the necessary documents to approach potential regional and international partners towards realizing their feature film project.
  • All the participants will have an in-depth understanding of the project development process from creative, production, and marketing perspectives and have developed skills and knowledge that they can use in further projects.
  • At the end of the
    Feature Program
    , teams will present their projects to an audience of international producers, sales agents, and other film industry professionals at the Red Sea International Film Festival.
  • During the Festival, the teams will also have one-on-one meetings with key decision-makers and gain visibility through The Book of Projects and network.
  • Winners will share a pot of $200,000 in award prizes, based on merit. The awards will be announced during the Festival.
  • A committee of international jurors of professionals will make the award selection.

Acknowledgement & Credits:

  1. Projects that are developed at the Feature Program: Are committed to crediting the Feature Program in the film’s opening credits and verbally acknowledge the Feature Program at festivals, in awards speeches, or in any press engagements where the film is discussed. Will have the GCC premiere at the Red Sea International Film Festival.
  2. Projects that win the Feature Program award and cash prize, or if they win any awards from the Feature Program’s Partners: The winning project will give the Feature Program the credit agreed at the participatio acceptance. (co-producer credit.) Award winners from Feature Program official partners will list the Feature Program as agreed at the participation acceptance. (Co-Producer.) Award winners will have the ARAB premiere at the Red Sea International Film Festival.

Documentation required to apply to the Feature Program – to be presented in English, if documents are written in Arabic, a translated copy to English should be submitted alongside the original one. If your script is written in Arabic, submit it as is, however, you might be asked to translate it or a part of it at a later stage.

  • Synopsis (1,000 characters with space);
  • Treatment (5–10 pages, max 18,000 characters) that fully outlines the narrative of the
  • project;
  • The director’s vision is represented by a mood board, a project book (pages of a storyboard, a color script, a series of drawings, or photographs), or a video (max 3 minutes). These should visually complement the written concept and explain the project through images;
  • Biography and filmography of the director, writer, and producer. The biography is a general written description of a person’s career and accomplishments;
  • The filmography must comprise all previous works including the title, year, length of the film, genre (documentary or fiction), and role in the production;
  • Casting idea (1 page, max 1,800 characters);
  • Budget sheet;
  • Financial plan, the producers must include a Financial Strategy document that demonstrates additional funding sources for the remainder;
  • Production company profile;
  • Introductory video by the director – video message from the director presents themselves and their work (max 3 minutes) in English or Arabic (if Arabic – subtitles must be provided);
  • Producer-director agreement: Signed document between the producer and the director;
  • List of training courses and events where the project has previously circulated;
  • Director’s intention (Why do you want to tell the story);
  • Script (optional) it is not necessary to have a script for the project to be considered by the Feature Program, but if one is already written, a copy may be submitted in English or Arabic. In the initial stages of the program participants will work in treatment form so please ensure that your treatment is a good reflection of your script if you have one.