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NEOM Scholarship
Client: NEOM
Sector:
Duration: 1 Month
Industry: Education
Overview
Challenge
Re-establishing the filmmaking industry in an almost movie-barren Saudi Arabia and inspiring creators to develop their already present filmmaking skills.
Outcome
The first 55 Saudi film directors, digital effects artists, and marketing experts were awarded the NEOM scholarship to one of the world's best film schools.
Impact
The mere mention of the program has drawn the attention of a mass filmmaking fanbase not yet recognized in Saudi Arabia — approximately 6,000 of which dared to apply in the program's first year. This initiative alone has brought awareness back to and revived an almost forgotten industry.
Context
Saudi Arabia began to focus its efforts on the film industry in 2018 by developing and expanding its local film theaters and screenings, after recognizing the advantageous role they played in reaching its Vision 2030 objectives. A definite step forward was awarding seven cinema licenses to both local and international media companies in a single year — the final license given to the country's own homegrown cinema brand, Muvi.
However, a breakthrough in the cinematic industry without local talent is just not as rewarding as it should be. According to the British Council's first in-depth report on the Kingdom's film industry in 2020, 41% of respondents identified skill shortage as the key obstacle to hiring in the Saudi film industry. The report also found that 54% of motion picture productions were short films, while full feature films accounted for just 4%.
One thing seemed to be missing from the equation: an environment of inspiration and cultivation.
TAM's Approach
As part of its revolutionary aspirations to become the leading accelerator of human progress, the 'new future' city of NEOM collaborated with TAM to bring to fruition a filmmaking scholarship program at one of the world's highest ranking film schools — the United Kingdom's National Film and Television School (NFTS).
Program Design
The program offered 50 spots for the blended learning NFTS Filmmaking Certificate course and five placement opportunities for applicants pursuing postgraduate studies.
Outreach & Awareness
TAM contacted 90 different Saudi-based universities, 135 media startups and freelancers, dispatched 12,880 emails, and conducted 10 webinar sessions at educational institutions — resulting in 5,720 sign-ups during the three-week registration window.
Filtration & Selection
TAM's filtration specialists commenced the initial review just two days after submissions opened — evaluating forms based on preset quantitative criteria. 161 individuals met the requirements (70 for the Master's program, 91 for the certificate course). Final nominees then interviewed with a media-specialist committee from both NFTS and NEOM, resulting in the selection of 55 scholars — 32 males and 23 females — based on their backgrounds, portfolios, and passion for the industry.
What We Delivered
- End-to-end scholarship program management from design to scholar selection.
- A multi-channel outreach campaign reaching universities, media startups, freelancers, and the general public.
- 10 webinar sessions at educational institutions across the Kingdom.
- A rigorous filtration and evaluation system based on quantitative criteria.
- Coordination with NFTS and NEOM for final interview and selection panels.
- 55 Saudi film talents — the Kingdom's first cohort — enrolled in world-class filmmaking education.
Impact at a Glance
12,880
emails dispatched during outreach campaign
5,720
users signed up within the three-week registration window
161
applicants met the quantitative evaluation criteria
55
scholars selected — 32 males and 23 females
90
Saudi universities contacted during outreach
135
media startups and freelancers engaged
10
webinar sessions held at educational institutions
1st
Saudi cohort ever enrolled at NFTS
Lasting Value Created
The NEOM Filmmaking Scholarship brought thousands of Saudi filmmakers out of hiding and revived an almost forgotten industry. The short-term outcome already shows a mass filmmaking fanbase now recognized and energized. The long-term impact is still unfolding — as the scholars continue their studies, Saudi Arabia moves closer to building a world-class homegrown film industry capable of competing on the global stage, aligned with Vision 2030's ambitions for culture, entertainment, and creative economy growth.