Young Saudis Win 48Hr Film Challenge
Two young Saudi film directors were presented with trophies on Sunday evening for winning the Red Sea Film Foundation’s third “48Hr Film Challenge,” which saw participants racing against the clock to create a short film within a two-day limit.
The winning teams — JSR led by Jwana Al-Zahrani and 6th Grade C led by Abdulrahman Batawei — received their awards from the foundation and the consulate general of France on Sunday in a special screening held at Red Sea Mall in Jeddah.
The two-day challenge aimed to motivate emerging Saudi and Saudi resident filmmakers to create original content. The endeavour has received backing from notable institutions including the Alliance Francaise, the Embassy of France in Saudi Arabia, NEOM, TV5 Monde, Hayy Jameel, and VOX Cinemas.
The 48Hr Film Challenge took place on July 28 and 29, during which time the participating teams wrote, shot and edited a short film. The 14 participants attended exclusive sessions from Aug. 25 to 27, including workshops and discussions with insights from four Saudi and four French filmmaking experts.
The technical workshops and mentorship sessions involved industry experts such as Lebanese scriptwriter and filmmaker Sophie Boutros, Saudi filmmaker Mohamed Al-Salman, Egyptian producer and filmmaker Hala Lotfy, and Jordanian director of photography Samer El-Nimri.
