Neom and KOFIC Launch Training Initiative Revealed at Busan ACFM

The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) and Saudi Arabia‘s Neom production hub are set to unveil a new training initiative.

The initiative, kicking off in December, will be spearheaded by KOFIC’s Korean Academy of Film Arts. It will see seasoned Korean filmmakers train a cohort of emerging Saudi Arabian talent. An official announcement with details is imminent.

This and other potential Saudi Arabia-Korean tie-ups were discussed during a panel discussion on the opening day of the Busan Asian Contents and Film Market on Saturday. The panel was moderated by Red Sea Film Festival programmer Kim Young-woo and featured Ryan Ashore, director of Red Sea Labs, Rasha AlEmam, producer and CEO of Saudi Arabia’s Yellow Camel Studios, Emad Z. Eskander, head of the Red Sea Fund, and Seo Woo-sik, the veteran producer behind Bong Joon-ho’s “Mother” and “Okja” and head of Barunson C&C.

Referring to a wardrobe workshop held earlier this year, AlEmam said, “The Saudis are ready to learn, and very willing to learn, and they want to take off on set and start working. So it’s a very fertile soil for us to take in education, learning, training and workshops.”

Speaking about potential Korea-Saudi Arabia co-productions, Seo said that projects need to find a common point that would appeal to both audiences. He also cautioned against breaking cultural taboos. “Take time to understand the culture and reality. Build trust. Take the time to understand each other,” Seo said. He advised beginning the relationship with the low-hanging fruit, such as Saudi talent going to Korea to learn about new technologies and graphic design.

Eskander said that the Red Sea Fund, hitherto focusing on Arab and African film financing, is now open to all of Asia and encouraged Korean projects to avail of Saudi Arabia’s generous incentives. AlEmam, Eskander and Ashore talked up the country’s diverse locations.

AlEmam and Eskander also said that Saudi Arabia does not creatively interfere in projects shooting there. “We do not interfere in the creative content of the film, the cultural limitations might be sexual. You cannot shoot sexual scenes in Saudi Arabia, but you can shoot action scenes, chase scenes, slaughter, violence. It doesn’t matter,” AlEmam said. “This is the content of your film. It’s not our area to interfere. But yes, on a cultural level, it’s mostly about nudity and sex, which is which has to be avoided, cannot be shot in Saudi.”