2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Tribune
France, Bahrain Boost Film Ties
TDT | Manama
The cultural bridge between Bahrain and France is set to grow stronger as the Bahrain Film Festival and the Embassy of France to Bahrain launch the second edition of the 48h Film Challenge, running from September 11th to 13th.
Supported by Bahrain's Ministry of Information and the renowned French film school ESRA, the event blends competition with intensive training, drawing on the expertise of French and Bahraini cinema professionals.
Organised ahead of the 5th Bahrain Film Festival, the challenge targets Bahraini nationals and residents aged 18 to 30, regardless of experience level. Participants will receive preliminary workshops in scriptwriting, directing, editing, and production before embarking on the two-day filmmaking sprint. They will work under the guidance of French cinema experts, including Camille Varenne, programmer and jury member of the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, and multi-award-winning French-Moroccan filmmaker and actor Ayoub Layoussifi.
The completed films will be showcased at the Bahrain Film Festival from October 30 to November 4, with the winning team announced at a special closing ceremony.
The top prize is a fully funded one-month summer school at ESRA's Paris campus in July 2026, including flights, accommodation, and tuition. Organisers say the scholarship offers a unique opportunity to gain first-hand experience in the French film industry and build international networks.
