SANAD will provide a cash prize of $10,000 to be awarded, along with three other prizes.
SANAD has announced its fourth film festival partnership to provide tangible support for Arab filmmakers, joining forces with one of the most prestigious film events in the region, Cairo Film Connection.
Through four partnerships with Venice International Film Festival, Cairo Film Festival, Carthage International Film Festival and Dubai International Film Festival, SANAD will grant more than US $40,000 to Arab filmmakers this year. SANAD is part of the Abu Dhabi-based media and entertainment company twofour54, which is committed to Arab content creation and Arab talent development.
Running parallel to the Cairo International Film Festival, Cairo Film Connection serves as a networking co-production forum that connects Arab filmmakers with industry professionals to discuss opportunities for collaboration and provides them with additional exposure and funding opportunities. The forum concludes with a film competition judged by a team of industry experts.
To support this competition, SANAD will provide a cash prize of $10,000 to be awarded, along with three other prizes, by an independent jury for projects in the development and post-production phases. This year, a total of 12 films have been selected to compete from 45 submissions, including five projects that were development stage recipients of SANAD grants:
Currently in the development phase:
- The Bridge by Hala Lotfy
- The Day I Ate the Fish by Aida Elkashef
- A Dog’s Tail by Rami Yasin
- Nothing Doing in Baghdad by Mysoon Paachachi
Currently in the post-production phase:
- Poisonous Roses by Fawzi Saleh
Additionally, three other projects from the 2015 SANAD cycle have been invited to participate in Cairo Film Connection as guest projects whereby they will be showcased to industry professionals, opening up networking and collaboration opportunities. These include:
- The Forgotten by Ghada Terawi
- The Disappeared by Yasmin Fedda
- The Mirror of Diaspora by Kasim Abid.
Cairo Film Connection and Cairo International Film Festival are both taking place 11-20 November in Egypt.