The new edition will offer financial grants for Saudi-based production companies looking to produce short films or feature films.
Saudi Film Commission has announced the launch of Daw, its latest initiative aimed at supporting local filmmakers and creating quality Saudi productions.
Daw’ was announced on the sidelines of the Red Sea International Film Festival.
The goal of the programme is to increase the efficiency of the film industry in Saudi Arabia, and create a vital, effective and sustainable private sector.
The commission stipulated that all the supported films must be produced by professional filmmakers who are Saudi nationals or are born in Saudi Arabia or are children of Saudi women.
Following the success of the Daw Film Competition which saw 30 winners across five film categories last year, the film commission worked on expanding Daw to offer filmmakers a chance to benefit from additional funding. The new Daw offers financial grants for Saudi-based production companies looking to produce short films or feature films.
Speaking about the initiative, Abdullah Al Eyaf, CEO of Saudi Film Commission, said: “Daw is part of our continued efforts to encourage Saudi filmmakers and production companies to express their creativity and help us grow the Saudi film industry. The film commission launched several initiatives over the past few years to develop the sector’s infrastructure and invest in our local talent, because we truly believe in the potential of Saudi filmmakers and production houses and strive to help them show their productions on the global stage.”
Daw’ covers three types of film – fiction films, documentaries, and animation. Applications will go through a rigorous evaluation process and will be assessed by a committee comprising leading experts in the field.
The commission will start receiving requests to apply to the programme starting December 11. The application process will have four phases, the first of which will start from December 11 2022 to January 31 2023, and the second from February 1 to April 31, while the third will be from May 1 to July 31. Finally, the fourth phase will be from August 1 to October 31.
Earlier this year, the film commission unveiled a cash rebate programme that is open for local and international production companies, which will stimulate local film production and grow the Saudi film industry. The film commission aims to develop the sector in Saudi Arabia with plans to increase the sector’s contribution to the economy, create jobs in the film sector, and produce more feature films in the Kingdom.
