Following successful collaborations in 2023 and 2024, AFAC is launching another program in partnership with Netflix focused on supporting emerging Arab women filmmakers. The initiative is open to early-career Arab women filmmakers residing in the UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Jordan, and Egypt. It offers upcoming women talents an opportunity to showcase their unique voices while receiving mentorship and training across various filmmaking departments to help them develop their skills and advance their careers.

The initiative welcomes applications with short film projects still in their early stages, submitted by a team of writer-director and producer. It also accepts applications from individual cinematographers, sound designers, and editors interested in working on film projects in need of cinematographers, editors, and/or sound designers.

The Women in Film III initiative offers two tracks for training and capacity-building. The first track is designed for writers-directors and producers, supporting them in developing and packaging their film projects. The second track is technical, focusing on cinematographers, editors, and sound designers, with participants gaining hands-on experience in their respective departments.

Prospective applicants cannot apply both as part of a project team and as individual applicants.

WHO CAN APPLY

Eligible Candidates

The call is open for:

• Women between the ages of 23 and 30;
• Arab women residents of Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, or the UAE;
• Filmmakers who have directed no more than one short film outside their studies;
• Cinematographers, editors, and sound designers who have worked on no more than one short film outside their studies;

Ineligible Candidates

AFAC will not consider applications submitted by:

• Members of the AFAC board of trustees, their business partners, or family members;
• AFAC staff members, their business partners, or family members;
• Members of the current year’s reader and juror committees;
• Applicants with a current open AFAC grant.
• Applicants who have previously directed, written, produced, shot, edited or sound-designed a full-length feature film or a TV series.

For film projects by teams

Applicants must apply with a story treatment and draft script for short fiction narrative films that are culturally sensitive and contribute to viewers’ understanding of the lived experiences of local cultures.

Applicants cannot apply with an animation film project.

For submissions by individuals (for cinematographers, sound designers, and editors)

Cinematographers, sound designers, and editors interested in working on short films can apply as individual applicants by submitting previous projects they have worked on, without being part of a team.

PROGRAM DETAILS

1- Writers-Directors & Producers (Weekly online sessions + 5 days in-person workshop.)

• Online Sessions
  
  Sessions for writers-directors cover character development, dialogue, pacing, visual storytelling. They also include tailored masterclasses aligned with each project’s needs such as history, psychology, legal frameworks, or other. Between sessions, participants revise their scripts and submit updated drafts for feedback. The program also explores the roles of creative producers, budgeting, contracts, financing models, and co-production strategies. Participants will prepare budgets, draft contracts, and work through real-world scenarios with mentor guidance and feedback.
  
  
• Hands-on Focus
  
  Writers-Directors refine their scripts through peer workshops and mentor feedback, while producers focus on developing practical skills in budgeting, contract negotiation, and pitch deck creation.
  
  
• Residency
  
  A practical script lab where writers-directors test and refine their ideas through collaboration with mentors and peers. Directors will be asked to shoot one scene to demonstrate their cinematic language as part of the exercises. Producers will participate in the residency in their role as creative producers, engaging in discussions around the script and its development. The final days will be dedicated to presenting and packaging the projects.

2- Cinematographers, Sound Designers & Editors (Weekly online sessions + 5 days in-person technical workshop.)

• Online Sessions
  
  - Cinematographers: Sessions focus on camera systems, lenses, and lighting techniques, as well as designing lookbooks, and building atmosphere with light, shadow, and framing.
  - Editors: Exploring rhythm, pacing, continuity, and storytelling through montage.
  - Sound Designers: Sessions cover the fundamentals of sound capture, environment control, and soundscape design, with assignments that include recording exercises for critique.
  
  
• Hands-on Focus
  
  - Cinematographers: Practice lighting setups, framing, and movement, and share results with the mentee on a specific exercise.
  - Editors: Work on specific exercises with mentors to explore rhythm and pacing, and how these choices shape and translate to the final on-screen scene.
  - Sound Designers: Engage in sound-focused exercises with mentors, exploring the different layers of sound, multi-channel design, and approaches to building rich audio environment.
  
  
• Technical Workshop
  
  Participants from all departments collaborate and engage with each other's work. Cinematographers and sound designers work together on scenes drawn from the available scripts, while editors cut and shape scenes created by the participating cinematographers.

Timeline

Date	task
18-May-2026	Open Call
17-Jul-2026	Call Closes
End of August	Selection Announcement
September to December 2026	Online Mentorship and Meetings
December 2026	In Person Residency (UAE or KSA)

HOW TO APPLY

Applications are only accepted online through the program’s application forms.

Applications submitted via regular mail or email will not be considered.

Applicants will receive a confirmation email once their application has been successfully submitted.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Make sure your application includes all the requested supporting materials before submitting it.

We encourage you to read the full application form before applying.

Application form for project proposals (team of writer-director and producer)
Apply now!

Application form for individual applicants (cinematographers, sound designers, and editors)
Apply now!

HOW ARE PROJECTS SELECTED

Evaluation and Selection Process

When the call for applications closes, our grants management team will review all received applications to make sure they are complete and adhere to the call’s guidelines. Applications that do not meet the eligibility criteria or that are missing required materials will be disqualified.

The grants management team will send all eligible applications to an independent committee of readers, who will evaluate them according to our evaluation criteria to arrive at a first selection. The latter will then be sent to an independent jury committee, which will evaluate them according to the same criteria.

The jury committee will then meet to deliberate over the applications and reach a final selection. You can find more information about our selection process here.

The jury will select seven projects based on quality, with no restrictions on themes or genres, to take part in the training. The jury will also select seven cinematographers, seven editors, and seven sound designers to participate in the training program.

Announcement

The selected participants will be announced on our website and social media platforms, together with a statement from the jury committee.

Applicants will also receive an email before the announcement informing them whether their application was selected for the program.