On Monday, the Red Sea International Film Festival opens applications for the Red Sea Lodge, delivered in partnership with TorinoFilmLab. Returning for the second year, the Lodge provides intensive training, mentorship, creative and professional development, and next-level industry opportunities to talented filmmakers from across the Arab world. Twelve project teams, six from Saudi and six from the Arab world, comprising director(s), producer(s), and scriptwriter(s), will participate in five workshops (four online and one on-site), before competing for two awards of $100,000 each. All projects will also be eligible to apply for production funding through the Festival — a new structure that allows the program to enable and support a larger number of projects. Red Sea Lodge Manager Jumana Zahid commented: "We are excited that we have a second occasion to support a new group of participants and hopefully enable more Arab projects to reach audiences. "During the first edition, we witnessed the tremendous potential in the Arab and Saudi narrative. Facilitating these emerging filmmakers seems like the very thing to do, especially in such uncertain times." The TorinoFilmLab Managing Director Mercedes Fernandez commented: "Last year we discovered the great potential of young, talented Saudi and Arab filmmakers. It was a fascinating experience to get to know this group of professionals and support their work and growth as a community. "We are very excited to launch the second edition of Red Sea Lodge thanks to our collaboration with the Red Sea Film Festival. Now more than ever, in this particular historical moment we are living, we feel compelled to accompany Saudi and Arab filmmakers during their professional development and their connection with the industry and the audience." The Lodge returns with an expanded program across eight months and five workshops throughout 2021. Participants will explore each project's full dramatic and production potential, with sessions covering personal and professional development, visualization, sales and marketing, and script development, as well as ongoing engagement with cinematographers, producers, scriptwriters, sound designers, and post-production specialists. There will be a creative focus for directors and scriptwriters, with a specialist production strand for producers. Applications for filmmakers making their first or second feature are open from Jan. 25 till Feb. 27, via the Red Sea International Film Festival website. — SG
