SeriesLab
Second Edition
The Red Sea Labs, in partnership with Film Independent, opened applications for the 2nd edition of the SeriesLab.
The SeriesLab supported 14 emerging content creators from the Arab world, Africa, and Asia through a three-part, hybrid virtual/in-person residency program. The program provided filmmakers with the skills, knowledge, networking, and mentorship needed to complete and pitch their television series pilot.
In two-person teams, writers participated in workshops and masterclasses, received one-on-one guidance from renowned U.S. mentors and episodic creators, and workshopped their projects in a supportive group setting. The program also included an exclusive opportunity to travel to Los Angeles for two weeks, where participants took part in a workshop and attended the Film Independent Forum, a special weekend event designed to inspire and empower content creators with the tools and connections needed to get their projects made and seen.
The program took place in August 2024 and concluded in December 2024, during the 4th edition of The Red Sea International Film Festival. The selected projects had the opportunity to pitch their projects at the Red Sea Souk to an audience of international buyers, studios, networks, and producers.
At the end of the program, each participant received a membership to Film Independent, providing educational and screening benefits for one year.
SeriesLab Projects
B’itha
Screenwriter: Noorah Al-Eidi
Producer: Sheheryar Ahsan
Three Saudi students struggle to navigate college life, co-ed classes and halal romances after coming to the U.S. on scholarships, post 9/11.
Cold Case-One (Pullukandam Murder Case)
Scriptwriter: Nithin Lukose
Co-writer: Hari Krishnan
Two ‘incompetent’ police officers, Abubaker(52) and Naveen(32) come across a rare cold case when Diana John Devassi(33) an NRI, claims that her father was killed by his own siblings for wealth. The two policemen struggle to figure out the real intentions of Diana and prove themselves as competent policemen by finding the truth in the thirty year old murder case.
Generation A
Screenwriter: Mona Ombogo
Producer: Louise Kamwangi
To escape their dysfunctional destinies, a group of troubled teens reluctantly enroll in a supernatural experiment aimed at creating an alternate East Africa where the West never showed up.
Pazuzu
Screenwriter/Producer: Ali Kareem
Co-writer: Dania Altayeb
After a failed lawsuit against major European museums over stolen Iraqi artifacts, archaeologist Hassan returns to Iraq. He settles on his parents’ farm, where he confronts unresolved traumas and fragmented memories. His return pulls him into Iraq’s artifact-smuggling underworld, putting both his life and the country’s heritage at risk.
Saria Othman Needs No Man
Screenwriter: Estephan Khattar
Producer: Hiba Louis
On her 47th birthday, after struggling to sustain a family, succeed in her career, and fulfill her love, Saria Othman decides to give herself a second chance. She secretly enrolls in acting school to pursue her long-held dream of becoming a successful actress.
Shani Bazaar
Scriptwriter: Karan Kabir
Co-writer: Nitin Koul
In the northern part of India, a 32-year-old upper-caste man named Subodh desperately fakes his caste to become a manual scavenger for the survival of his family, uncovering a criminal underbelly in the mythical village of Harnandi, Ghaziabad. Subodh sparks a revolution against the deep-rooted prejudices, becoming an unlikely David against a ruthless Goliath in a battle that shakes the foundations of the caste system.
Switch
Screenwriter/Producer: Nathan Magoola
Co-writer: Lucky Lola Atwine
A man’s quest for a better life in the Middle East results in a lifetime prison sentence, followed by an unexpected pardon. After 15 years, Shafic (50s) returns to Kampala, only to find that his family moved on. Struggling to reclaim his life, he is drawn into the criminal underworld, seeking redemption again.
