Red Sea Fund
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Overview
At a Glance
Program Name: Red Sea Fund.
Funding Type: Competitive grants for film and episodic projects at development, production, and post production stages.
Funding Amount: Overall pool above $15 million; exact amount per project depends on fund type and project needs.
Application Deadline: Four yearly cycles – Jan 6–27 (PostProduction), March 6–21 (Production), May 6–21 (Development), July 6–21 (PostProduction).
Program Focus: Fiction, documentary, and animation (features, shorts, and episodic) by Arab, African, Asian, and Saudi filmmakers.
Location: Based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with eligibility for Arab, African, and Asian filmmakers; shorts specifically for Saudi directors.
About the Program
The Red Sea Fund is a grant program of the Red Sea Film Festival that helps filmmakers in the Arab world, Africa, and Asia develop and complete their films and series. It has backed over 280 projects since 2021 with more than $15 million in support, including notable titles like “The Mother of All Lies,” “Four Daughters,” and “Goodbye Julia.”
The fund also promotes industry growth through targeted initiatives, such as supporting women filmmakers, student graduation films, and partnership awards with other festivals.
Program Benefits
- Funding: Grants for development, production, or post?production to move projects from idea or script stage to final cut.
- Visibility: Connection to the Red Sea Film Festival ecosystem and its regional and international partners.
- Inclusion: Priority for Arab, African, Asian, and Saudi voices, with dedicated support for Saudi shorts and women?led and student projects.
Eligibility Criteria
Project type:
- Features (60+ minutes) and episodic projects (25–59 minutes) in fiction, documentary, or animation.
- Shorts under 60 minutes (fiction, documentary, or animation) for Saudi directors.
- Applicant origin: Arab nationality/origin, or African or Asian nationality for feature/episodic projects; Saudi nationality for shorts.
- Project stage: Must match the chosen fund: Development, Production, or PostProduction.
Application Timeline
- Cycle 01 – Post?Production: Jan 6–27.
- Cycle 02 – Production: March 6–21.
- Cycle 03 – Development: May 6–21.
- Cycle 04 – Post?Production: July 6–21.
Applications are submitted through the online portal, following the specific rules for each fund category.
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