Amplifying the Voices of Arab Women Filmmakers Through Our ‘Because She Created’ Platform

Women storytellers have unique stories to tell and giving them a chance to tell their stories in their own voice, creates a space for more authentic stories that haven’t been told before.

Through our Because She Created platform, we’re shining a spotlight on the creative, talented, inspirational women in the Arab world who are blazing new trails in film. Whether through content on the service, financial grants or upskilling initiatives, we want to provide a platform for female storytellers to help break the glass ceiling for women in entertainment.

The Launch

The Because She Created platform first launched last year as a virtual panel discussion hosting Arab women filmmakers and leaders, to talk about the evolving role of women in the regional film industry. Anne Marie Jacir (Palestine/Jordan), Tima Shomali (Jordan), Hanaa Al Omair (Saudi), Hala Khalil (Egypt) and Rima Mismar (Lebanon) discussed the evolution of women’s roles in the Arab entertainment industry, and the gaps the industry needs to fill, both behind and in front of the camera. Read more about their perspectives here.

Hend Sabry at Cairo Film Festival 

Sparking dialogue about the unique challenges women face is important as we work to fill the pipeline of women in entertainment. Last year, we teamed up with the Cairo International Film Festival to hear first hand from Hend Sabry, among the most renowned actors in the Arab entertainment industry about her journey in the industry, her experience as the Executive Producer of Netflix’s ‘Finding Ola’ as well as the challenges she has faced as a mother, actress, and Executive Producer while working in the Arab film and TV industry. Hend shares her thoughts in this blog. 

The AFAC-Netflix Fund for Creative Equity

Having spoken to many women in the industry, a key barrier for women producers comes down to financing. To directly address this, we partnered with the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture to offer five women filmmakers a one-time grant of $250,000 as part of the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity. The grantees also get the opportunity to potentially have their films licensed on Netflix - Asmae El Moudir (Morocco), Diala Kachmar (Lebanon), Jana Wehbe (Lebanon), Sarra Abidi (Tunisia), Tania El Khoury (Lebanon). 

The Because She Created Collection

There are already aspirational, talented women creating moving and impactful content, which is often sidelined by the demands of commercial cinema. So, earlier this year, we brought together a collection of 21 films from remarkable female filmmakers across the Arab world including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, and Tunis. You can learn more about the collection here. 

The Because She Created Writing Program

Egypt has a long and illustrious legacy of storytelling, as well as a wealth of untapped potential. To help mine for talent from historically underrepresented areas of the country, and working through our Creative Equity Fund, we launched the Because She Created Writing Program in partnership with dedicated scriptwriting hub Sard, to train 22 aspiring women in creative writing and advance their professional development. Two participants from the cohort were selected to join the Sard writing lab to work on special projects helmed by the SARD team. Find out more about the program here. 

The Because She Created Space at Red Sea Film Festival

To celebrate the pioneering spirit of iconic women filmmakers from the Arab world, Netflix has organized a creative exhibition at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival, amplifying their voices to an audience of esteemed industry professionals. The space, open to attendees at the Festival, highlights the important role that women have, and continue to play in growing and enriching the Arab entertainment industry. Dedicated corners celebrate the journeys of Hend Sabry, Hana Al Omair, Kaouther Ben Hania, and Tima Shomali, and offer visitors an opportunity to learn more about Netflix’s Because She Created inituative, and the many other women filmmakers who are shaping the future of the Arab entertainment industry. Read more about the space here.

The Second Phase of the Because She Created Writing Program

Thirteen women completed the second phase of Netflix’s ‘Because She Created’ writing program in Egypt. The eight-week program, built on the success of the Because She Created Creative Writing Program in partnership with Sard, includes exceptional talent from the initial cohort. Throughout the course of the program, the women had the opportunity to work on the short stories they initiated in the first phase, turning them into screenplays, with guidance from Mariam Naoum and the Sard team. At the end of the program, the women pitched their screenplays to industry experts including Mariam Naoum, Dr. Karim Shenawy and Mohamed Hefzy. Read more about the program here.

‘Because She Created’ shines a spotlight on the next generation of women at the Red Sea International Film Festival

For a second year in a row, Netflix is bringing back the Because She Created space to the Red Sea Film International Festival and shining the spotlight on the next generation of talented women in the Arab world who are telling stories that haven’t been told before. 

The impressive line-up includes Saudi-American multihyphenate interdisciplinary artist Adwa Bader, internationally-acclaimed Saudi writer, performing artist, actor and director, Fatima AlBanaoui, and actress and creative producer Haya Abdelsalam. 

This year’s space not only celebrates these three incredible women, but also inspires new women creators to step forward into the spotlight, unleash their creativity and share their journey with others who follow.

37 Emerging Female Talents Visit Netflix Production Hub in Spain as Part of the Creative Training Program

The Netflix-AFAC Creative Training Program for emerging female talent in the creative filmmaking process wrapped up with 37 women involved in the filmmaking industry visiting Netflix’s production hub in Tres Cantos, and learning about global best practices from experts in the industry. The production hub visit follows three-day workshops in each of Cairo, Dubai, and Jeddah that took place in November, and introduced aspiring talents to scriptwriting and the creative process of filmmaking by established female filmmakers from the Arab region.

Netflix, Sard, and NEOM to Launch the Saudi Female Future Filmmakers Program

Netflix, in partnership with Sard and NEOM Media Industries, announced the launch of a new program for 15 new and emerging female filmmakers from Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Female Future Filmmakers Program, part of Netflix's Fund for Creative Equity, aims to identify the next generation of female talent in the Saudi film industry. 

Netflix Partners with AFAC to Launch Pan-Regional Initiative for Emerging Arab Women Filmmakers

Netflix, in partnership with the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC), launched “Women in Film – Bring Your Story to Life”,  a new initiative aimed at providing continued training and development for up to 25 emerging Arab women filmmakers across Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Jordan, and Kuwait.

The pan-regional initiative invites participants to collaborate on a group project under the guidance of industry mentors. Each group will develop a short fiction film with a $25,000 budget provided to bring their stories to life. This comprehensive program includes script virtual consultation and pre-shoot planning, followed by in-person editing and post-production support sessions in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Female Future Filmmakers Program Showcases Emerging Talents at the Red Sea International Film Festival

The program launched by Netflix, Sard, and NEOM Media industries, concluded its activities at the Red Sea Film Festival. Launched in September this year, the program’s 13-week schedule included workshops on screenwriting, directing, and producing content with industry mentors. The last phase of the program was a simulation pitch hosted at the Red Sea International Film Festival, where participants presented their pitches to a panel of industry experts. Panelists include Nuha Al Tayeb, Content Director in Netflix for Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey; Mariam Naoum, Scriptwriter, CEO, and founder of Sard; Reem Al Habib, writer, director, and actress; Ahmed Al-Mulla, poet, founder, and president of the Saudi Film Festival; Faisal Baltyour, producer; and Abdulaziz Khuja, film critic and reviewer.