Red Sea International Film Festival Announces Shortlisted Teams for Third Edition of 48Hr Film Challenge

Following the launch of the third edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival’s 48 Hour Film Challenge, 15 teams have been shortlisted to participate in the Challenge. 

The teams will participate in the Film Challenge, which will consist of two days of workshops on 21st and 22nd July from esteemed industry professionals such as Lebanese scriptwriter Sophie Boutros, Saudi filmmaker Mohamed Al Salman, Egyptian producer Hala Lotfy, and Jordanian director of photography Samer El Nimri. After the workshops, the teams will have 48 hours to make a film, from idea to edit. 

These 15 teams will also have the opportunity to participate in a three-day professional workshop (25th, 26th and 27th August), hosted by the Consulate General of France in Jeddah. The program includes screenings of short films and insightful discussions about the industry led by experts from France and Saudi Arabia.

Two winning films will be selected by a distinguished jury comprising Saudi filmmaker Shahad Ameen, Egyptian actress Amina Khalil, and French filmmaker & writer Professor Alexandre Tylski. The winning teams will benefit from a residency at the International Short Films Festival in Clermont-Ferrand (France) in 2024. Their films will also be showcased at the Red Sea Film Festival in December 2023.

The shortlisted teams are as follows:

• ZENDANAH, led by Majed Alturki
• Figments, led by Ayman Fatani
• Righters House, led by Donia Almouwald 
• Assembly, led by Eissa Hafiz
• JSR, led by Jwana Alzahrani
• Irtijal, led by Turki Alqahtani
• Kasheeb, led by Ali Shaqaq
• Belonger, led by Hutoon Ali
• New Gen, led by Abdullah Almagrabi
• Time Warp, led by Dana Alshehri
• 6th Grade C, led by Abdulrahman Batawie
• Mt. Radwa, led by Abdulrahman Baali
• Archive Production, led by Mohammed Kably
• Cinematic Creators, led by Rozan Bawazir
• Smithees, led by Talal Almusaad

The 48-Hour Film Challenge is supported by the Alliance Française, the Consulate General of France in Jeddah, the Embassy of France in Saudi Arabia, and VOX Cinemas. The Challenge aims to celebrate and nurture the spirit of independent filmmaking, encouraging Saudis and Saudi residents to push the boundaries of tradition.