DUBAI: Netflix and the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC) have partnered to launch an initiative called “Women in Film – Bring Your Story to Life,” dedicated to advancing the professional growth of Arab women filmmakers. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @arabnews.lifestyle It will offer training and development opportunities to up to 25 women from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan and Kuwait. Hopefuls can apply as teams with a complete project or as individuals for positions such as cinematographer or editor. A jury will select five projects, while a matchmaking process will be used to help incomplete groups find the technical expertise they need. Each group will develop a short fiction film with a $25,000 budget. Rima Mismar, the executive director of AFAC, spoke to Arab News, sharing insights on the support the initiative will provide. “The support that we give in the first stage is very much dependent on the script itself. The jury, which will make the selection, will also provide input and feedback on what each project needs in terms of finalizing the script, which will mainly be through training with scriptwriters, who may also be filmmakers,” she said. “Once the script is finished, the focus will shift to the producers, as they bring together the team, including the director, writer, producer and cinematographer,” Mismar added. The program will also offer mentorship and consultancy at every stage of production, from guiding directors on their films to providing support in cinematography, editing and sound design. Mismar expressed optimism about Arab cinema, noting: “Arab cinema, in terms of creative expression, style, and voices, is in a good place today.” However, she highlighted significant challenges, particularly in funding and distribution. “The questions that most filmmakers today are grappling with are related to funding and the circulation and distribution of their films,” she said. She emphasized the need for a rethinking of production models to allow for more frequent filmmaking. “We need to think of ways to make films with less money because the economy of the region does not allow for huge productions. If filmmakers want to do films more frequently, rather than one every 10 years, we need to rethink the tools and resources available to them,” she explained.