If you’re an Arab girlie with a passion for film, you’re about to discover the opportunity of a lifetime.
Netflix and the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC) have joined forces to launch an unprecedented creative training program, designed to educate emerging female talent on the creative process behind filmmaking. But that’s not all – selected candidates are promised a trip to a Netflix European production hub early next year (!!)
Via @alrawabinetflix on Instagram
So what exactly is the Netflix x AFAC Women in Film initiative, and who’s eligible to apply?
You’ve established that you’re a 21 to 27-year-old woman (check), an emerging filmmaker (check), a film school graduate (check), and you live in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, or Egypt (check). If you fulfill the criteria, then you have a strong chance of being selected as one of the 45 women to partake in this female-led creative training program.
The *most established* senior women filmmakers in the Arab region will guide participants throughout the ‘Women in Film’: Introduction to the Creative Process initiative. Composed of a series of creative workshops, the training program will introduce participants to the art of scriptwriting and the filmmaking process at large.
With such profound guidance, the next generation of Arab female filmmakers are offered a chance to nurture their creative gifts and pursue storytelling as a viable career path.
Via @alrawabinetflix on Instagram
When can you sign up for the Netflix x AFAC Women in Film initiative?
As of August 17, applications for the program will officially open on the AFAC website – and the application deadline is September 8. An external jury will review the submitted applications throughout the month September, and on October 17, successful candidates will receive the news of a lifetime.
Via @alrawabinetflix on Instagram
The best way to gain insight into the Netflix x AFAC Women in Film initiative is by asking the women who created it a few questions. Luckily for you, Cosmo ME has had the pleasure of interviewing Nuha El Tayeb – Director, Arabic Series, Netflix, as well as Rima Mismar – Director of Content, Middle East, Africa and Turkey at Netflix.
Cosmo ME’s exclusive interview with Netflix’s Nuha El Tayeb and Rima Mismar…
Via @alrawabinetflix on Instagram
Cosmo ME: Most people in the region believe that being an actor or actress is all that there is to the film industry. How can Arab countries raise awareness about the multifaceted nature of filmmaking, specifically pertaining to the diversity of behind-the-scenes jobs?
Nuha: Filmmaking is a complex art, and its success comes down to the whole ecosystem being supported – both behind and in front of the camera. This is vital to the industry’s shared success. There is an incredible caliber of talent and stories that make up the larger creative community in the region, and the private sector, NGOs, educational institutions, and governments – all have an important role to play in fostering this community.
Film Festivals are a great example of how we are already doing this incredibly well in the region. Dedicated workshops, industry talks, curated screenings and recognition, play an important role in amplifying voices behind the camera and exposing untapped talent to the industry. Education plays an equally important role, but the challenge is to make behind the scenes roles as desirable as roles in front of the camera. How can we elevate education to inspire young people to more seriously consider behind-the-scenes roles as viable career options? And once they do, how do we build a thriving industry that creates enough jobs and growth opportunities for everyone? The key is building a unified film industry, where set to set, production to production, crews have the necessary technical skills to build quality content with broad appeal. Partnerships like the one with AFAC that allow us to upskill and absorb talent do exactly this.
Cosmo ME: Do you believe that film programs in Arab universities could use more candidates? What efforts can Arab countries/universities make in order to make film school an attractive and viable option for students?
Rima: Yes, definitely; however it is a question of quality and diversity, rather than a question of quantity. We do not want to flood the film scene with film graduates; what we need is a generation of emerging filmmakers from diverse backgrounds and geographies, who can amplify underrepresented voices and dig up untold stories using a fresh cinematic language/approach.
Film schools in Arab universities must diversify their courses offerings and teaching body, keeping pace with today’s fast-moving transformations and offering a more hands-on approach to filmmaking. Students need to be prepared for the real film industry, and must experience filmmaking firsthand. Moreover, film schools must provide students with support even after graduation (job/internship opportunities, access to funding, etc).
Arab film schools also need to open a space for experimentation, and to further promote the uniqueness of artist voices’ locality rather than universality. Critical thinking is another aspect that needs further attention in this area.
Cosmo ME: In the same vein, how can Arab countries highlight the worthiness of a career in film, particularly in relation to emerging female talent?
Rima: One of the most pressing measures that Arab countries could adopt is related to funding. By making resources readily available to emerging filmmakers, Arab countries would be investing in rising talents of the region’s film industry. This can be done with a particular focus on emerging women film directors in order to gradually remedy the gender gap in the industry. Such an initiative would further develop the film industry in the region, thereby boosting job opportunities in the sector and promoting local cultures. If we take the case of Egypt for example, it has spearheaded the Arab cinema industry for decades, thereby making Egyptian culture known and accessible to the entire region.
With regards to the role of the public sector in supporting film, we must think of the full circle: a public sector that is active in supporting production, but at the same time making sure that this content is being properly distributed and circulated among audiences, via diversified platforms and channels of distribution that would allow for the visibility of various film genres.
Cosmo ME: Why is a women-focused perspective important in this initiative? Have you observed a particular lack of female representation behind-the-scenes in the Arab filmmaking industry?
Nuha: In many parts of the Arab world, women have been at the forefront of filmmaking for decades. But our region is incredibly diverse. There are still untapped pockets of talent, and more countries in the region are presenting new opportunities and we want to see more women taking on roles behind the camera, and for this to change – we must first create a level playing field for women, so they can compete equally and gain access to a wider network, more lucrative opportunities, and critical funding that can make storytelling more equitable in the long-run.
Cosmo ME: In terms of emerging talent in the region, what are some of the most important qualities that you value in up-and-coming actors? Do the same qualities apply to behind-the-scenes participants?
Nuha: With emerging talent and filmmakers both, the main thing we look for is authenticity. For talent, the question is often whether and how they can make characters their own; for filmmakers it’s more about the story they want to tell. Why do they want to tell the story, who do they want to tell it to, what makes them an authentic voice to tell this story and how do they plan to tell it? Both new and established voices are important in bringing these stories to life, and the goal is to ultimately provide more Arab talent and filmmakers with a platform to gain fans globally.
Cosmo ME: In your opinion, what are some important or urgent stories that need to be told in the region through film?
Rima: Filmmaking is an important and powerful tool to tell a story, especially in our part of the region where attacks on civil liberties prevail. Through the ‘Women in Film’ program, we support young female voices in conveying their stories to the world – we do not direct them towards particular stories, but rather empower them to tell their own stories in a most compelling way. Our approach is non-directive; it is rather a participative, collaborative process which does not restrict the filmmaker in any way.
There are always prevailing expectations on what Arab women filmmakers must talk about in their films. We need to make sure not to fall into this trap, and make sure that space is available for these filmmakers to tell their own stories, in their specificities.
Cosmo ME: Netflix’s Al Rawabi School for Girls has created a very positive global impact, offering the Arab film industry exposure worldwide. What inspiration can be drawn from the show in order to create similar groundbreaking projects in the future?
Nuha: Al Rawabi School for Girls was a simple story, told earnestly. It was an honest portrayal of contemporary issues that hadn’t been tackled in this way before, and that was at the heart of its success. It was a universal story, told from the perspective of young girls – an often-overlooked demographic in Arab cinema, and created by a majority female cast and crew. It had all the ingredients for an inspiring tale. Tima and Shirin created the world of Rawabi – tackling difficult topics with grace and uncovering raw experiences with nuance. Al Rawabi School for Girls gave more people a chance to discover and love stories from the Arab world, and that’s the inspiration we draw from it – the unmatched power of simplicity, authenticity, and universality.
Cosmo ME: From your acting/directing experience, have you had to take on jobs that you weren’t passionate about in order to arrive at your current position? What advice would you give to aspiring actors or directors in this regard?
Rima: My experience does not revolve around acting/directing, but rather around film criticism. This past experience was instrumental in helping me understand the challenges of this art form in general but also particularly in our region, to subsequently create support programs for films, whether for fiction films or documentaries. Also, as a previous film critic, I would like to highlight the importance of cultural journalism in making films from the region accessible to a larger audience.
My advice to aspiring directors would be the following: pursue topics and projects that speak to you and align with your values. We know it is easier said than done, yet it is through such endeavors that the Arab film industry will thrive with genuine and impactful stories.
Cosmo ME: What aspects can the Arab film industry improve upon in order to gain a competitive advantage over Western countries? Are there any perspectives unique to the Arab region which our film industry can leverage to gain this competitive edge?
Rima: One key aspect is for Arab films to remain true to the stories they convey, and for the Arab film industry to look inwards, rather than outwards. Arab film directors need to use storytelling with sincerity and credibility; it is by speaking through images without any filters nor censorship, and by highlighting our specificities, that Arab films will achieve success among Arab and Western audiences alike.
Another aspect pertains to coming up with tools and modes of production that resemble the Arab region. We need to step away from the idea of Western cinema being always the reference…
Starting August 17, you can submit your application for the Netflix x AFAC ‘Women in Film’ creative training program here.