RIYADH: The Saudi Film Commission announced its latest development and training initiatives on Monday at Riyadh Boulevard City’s Muvi Cinema, the largest movie theater in the country, to assist in building the industry.
The venue was packed as the commission announced two opportunities — the return of the fourth Filmmakers Program, and the new Kader Film Vocational Training Program.
Abdullah Al-Ayyaf, CEO of the commission, said: “Our goal is to present Saudi films to Saudis and the world. Our number one strategy at the Film Commission is developing talent."
The Filmmakers Program will train 4,000 individuals through 100 in-person events and 50 online workshops in 13 regions, including Riyadh, Makkah, Asir, Najran, Tabuk and the Eastern Province.
HIGHLIGHT
The Filmmakers Program will train 4,000 individuals through 100 in-person events and 50 online workshops in 13 regions, including Riyadh, Makkah, Asir, Najran, Tabuk and the Eastern Province.
The initiatives include masterclasses, the first of which will be held on Jan. 8 by the director of “Goodbye Julia,” Mohamed Kordofani. The production of the Sudanese film included Saudi Arabia crew members and won the Un Certain Regard Freedom Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
The sessions will include pre-production, marketing and distribution. In addition, there will be training in scriptwriting, directing, acting, location scouting, sound design, animation, safety on set, visual effects, festival management, and much more.
A new addition this year is the Art Residency program, which provides a space for filmmakers to develop their projects. This includes adapting Saudi Arabia novels or books into film scripts and managing production.
A total of 32 in-person programs and sessions will be launched in January and February in Riyadh, Jeddah, the Eastern Province and Qasim led by global leaders in the industry.
“This is the Filmmakers Program in its fourth cycle. But are these three tracks the only ones available to gain knowledge and develop? Through our experience, they weren’t, which is why we established our new program, Kader,” said Abduljalil Al-Nasser, general manager of sector development and investment attraction, at the commission.
Over the past year, 15 Saudi filmmakers have participated in global productions, including “Goodbye Julia,” “Inshallah A Boy,” and others in Tunisia, and Bulgaria.
Al-Nasser said: “When we saw this had a positive output, we decided to build the Kader program fully on these experiences. It aims to build sustainable connections with expert filmmakers across the globe.
“These connections build knowledge, help in reaching festivals and can be a way to have future collaborations with (global) cinema productions.”
The Kader program connects established and other local filmmakers to various productions around the world for three to four weeks, to gain experience and practical training.
Eligibility for the program requires a minimum of two years of experience in the field. After signing up on the commission’s website, filmmakers will be categorized according to their skills and specializations, then nominated to various partner productions for below-the-line positions within the production and post-production phases.
These include camera operation, production design, directing, hair and makeup, sound design, wardrobe, music composition, stunts, special effects, and montage.
“We’re open to also providing any Saudi actors or actresses in the case where any production requests it, as well as Saudi writers or assistant directors. But the program essentially targets below-the-line work,” Al-Nasser said.
The Filmmakers Program and Kader Film Vocational Training Program are now open for registration.
Al-Nasser added that another program dedicated to consulting will be announced later this year.
