RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s support for the film industry continues with the announcement by the Red Sea Fund of the second round winners, who will benefit from financial resources in order to carry out their projects.
The fund, administered by the Red Sea Film Foundation, has allocated approximately €98,000 to 23 individual projects which will cover production, distribution and screening.
The goal is to bring a more diverse set of films to global audiences and better serve Saudi and Arab filmmakers.
“It means a lot to us that The Red Sea Fund believes in this story enough to fund it. It is both an honor and a responsibility,” Saudi filmmaker Talha B. told Arab News. He will co-direct the winning project “Lithium” with his colleague Amro B., another creator.
The feature film tackles the subject of bipolar disorder and the silent suffering of people with mental health issues in the Arab region.
“It is a great responsibility to present this subject in a positive yet honest way, and we intend to give it the justice it deserves… It touches on a subject that we rarely admit to having in our society. We hope more bold stories like this will be told candidly, because like physical health, mental health matters too,” Talha explained.
The film is currently in development and is set to premiere at the 2023/2024 Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah.
The rest of the 23 selections include shorts, documentaries and animated films, five of which are from Africa, 11 from the Arab region and seven from Saudi directors.
The aim is to help young, ambitious filmmakers find a place for themselves in the sector.
“It is very motivating to witness the great achievements of the Red Sea International Film Festival and showcase them to filmmakers from Saudi Arabia and around the world. The films funded speak volumes regarding the degree of understanding of the creative process and the craftsmanship behind the walls of their visionary team and out-of-the-box thinking,” he told Arab News Anas BaTahaf, the filmmaker and future producer of the selected film “Hayat Yousef”.
BaTahaf is teaming up with longtime collaborator Sarah Taibah, who will join the project as a screenwriter. The project is characterized by meaningful character arcs, weirdness, mixed genres, and “dynamic” absurdity, all in a contemporary dark romantic comedy.
“Taibah’s in-depth knowledge and understanding of romance – through her various artistic projects on the study of love as a feeling and a theme during a wide range of artistic residencies around the world – is a another quality that gives him my full confidence when it comes to telling this story,” said BaTahaf.
The goal of telling unconventional stories is the reason for the selection of ‘Red Eye’, which will be directed by filmmaker Mohammed Jastaniah.
“After so much trial, error and rejection, it’s nice to see once once more that persistence pays off, not to mention the support of the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation, a place I call My house. It’s a special feeling,” Jastaniah told Arab News.
The film is an “allegory” of the artist’s experience in Saudi Arabia, he said. “Red Eye” tells the story of a man who must deal with the stigma associated with being a rock star, fight his own demons and manage his relationship with his father.
“He speaks for those who stand out in the crowd, and there are so many of us, especially in these exciting times of change in the Kingdom. Pinch me cause it feels like a dream,” Jastaniah posted.
“I am very happy for our film and for all the other films that have been awarded. Local directors deserve all the praise and support,” BaTahaf said.
He reported that he can’t wait for his friends to see the “great” films that have been made.
This text is the translation of an article published on Arabnews.com
