GFF Organizes “Co-Production: Opportunities and Challenges” Panel

The Sudanese director of the critically acclaimed film Goodbye Julia, Amjad Abu Elela, and veteran Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy, Founder & CEO of Film Clinic, were joined by French producer Claire Chassagne and German producer Dorothé Beinemeier in a discussion on the opportunities and pitfalls of co-production, moderated by the Jordanian producer, Rula Nasser.

While pursuing co-production with Europe can amplify the reach of films produced in the region and provide invaluable access to funds, a wider industry network, and experience—while also deepening cultural exchange within the cinema industry—filmmakers need to navigate formidable bureaucratic hurdles and overcome the prejudices of the European market, which is still largely myopically focused on films that perpetuate Western stereotypes of the region as a place of war, suffering, and oppression.
 

The panelists also discussed how the recent explosion of funding from initiatives in the Gulf and Saudi Arabia, specifically the Red Sea Film Foundation, is providing alternatives for regional filmmakers lacking local sources of funding and support, allowing them to flourish independently of their prior dependence on the support of Western film bodies.