French industry veteran Julie Bergeron has been appointed by the Red Sea International Film Festival to head its promising market, according to a report in Variety magazine. With this appointment, Saudi Arabia's first international film festival is ramping up operations ahead of its inaugural festival taking place in Jeddah from March 12–21, 2020. The organizers have also announced funds providing up to $3 million in support for emerging Arab filmmakers and cash prizes totaling $350,000 to be awarded at the fest. In addition, there will be $250,000 in cash prizes for films In Competition and $100,000 as part of the Bait Al Montage post-production fund. The competition cash prizes have been set to reward cinematic excellence from around the world, emphasizing innovation and daring expression. The international competition runs across six categories with winners chosen by a jury comprising eminent international film figures. Bergeron has been head of industry programs at the Cannes Marché du Film as well as project manager of its Ventana Sur Latin American offshoot. She had also worked for the Dubai film market. She joins a high-caliber team that includes former Sundance fest documentary programmer Hussain Currimbhoy, who is the Red Sea fest's artistic director; Dubai's former top executive Shivani Pandya Malhotra, who is managing director; Antoine Khalife, also a Dubai fest veteran who is director of the Saudi fest's Arab Program; and Saudi filmmaker Mahmoud Sabbagh ("Barakah Meets Barakah"), who is president. Meanwhile, the festival will see a new enterprise — The Best Short Film prize. It is part of the Red Sea Shorts Competition, featuring the most exciting contemporary voices from the Arab world, including student directors, first-time filmmakers, and contemporary Arab artists from diverse disciplines. Another production initiative is the $400,000 funding of a special Omnibus presenting up to 6 short films made by Saudi women filmmakers. The festival's emboldening moves articulate a commitment to new voices in Saudi filmmaking, encouraging stories from and by the Kingdom's women. The short films will be shown as a collective at the 1st edition of the film festival. The announcement also demonstrates the festival's support for a sustainable regional film industry, adding to the existing Red Sea Lodge — an intensive five-month mentoring and training program for 12 teams of Arab filmmakers. Delivered in collaboration with TorinoFilmLab in the lead up to the 2020 festival, two participants will be awarded grants of $500,000 each following an ‘in Festival' pitch to a jury of industry leaders. Also supporting production, the one-time Tamheed Fund will realize two new Saudi feature films bestowing grants of $500,000 each. The selected projects are: "The Book of Sun" by Faris Godus and "Forty Years and a Night" by Mohammed Alholayyil. Both are expected to premiere at the festival next year. — SG
