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Daw’ Film Competition
Client: Ministry of Culture
Sector: Culture, Education
Duration: 6 Months
Industry: Culture, Education
Overview
Challenge
To support and empower local Saudi filmmakers on their path towards creating and contributing to a powerful potential-filled film industry.
Outcome
A total of 30 films and scripts by talented filmmakers which can now be perfected and released to the local and international public.
Impact
A step forward in the direction of industry growth and the increased public understanding on how the Saudi government's efforts are focusing on supporting people's creativity and skills as well as the country's thriving future.
Context
The Saudi film industry has taken off on a mission to become one of the world's leading sectors — with some of the most creative locals steering it to success. The market may not be untouched, but is definitely unsaturated and holds potential beyond what other already film-established countries do.
The Kingdom has been tapping into the Anime market — long dominated by Japan — with the Saudi-Japanese anime 'The Journey', which premiered in Tokyo in mid-2021. About a month later, Saudi Arabia participated in the renowned Cannes Film Festival in France with a pavilion of its own.
According to PwC, the film industry in the Kingdom is "a billion dollar opportunity." With an investment budget of no less than SAR 10 billion, it is expected to contribute no less than SAR 1 billion to the country's GDP and create thousands of job opportunities.
TAM's Approach
The Ministry of Culture (MOC) and TAM collaborated to bring to fruition the Daw' ("Light") Film Competition — providing financial, moral, and expert support to winning filmmakers while uncovering hidden artistic gems that would enhance the Saudi film industry as a whole.
Platform & Launch
TAM designed a highly responsive, easy-to-use website where applicants could find all information and submit their work. The competition was launched through the MOC's Twitter account, influencer promotion, an informational YouTube video, and traditional marketing tools including emails and flyers.
Submission & Filtration
Filmmakers had approximately four months to submit portfolios, completed or incomplete scripts, and films. Of 178,300 website visits, 258 creatives submitted their work. TAM's assembled team filtered submissions against set criteria, resulting in 162 accepted proposals nominated for the Daw' award.
Judging & Selection
A committee of six filmmaking and scriptwriting specialists nominated finalists. A panel of five long-time cinematic experts then evaluated each submission through a dedicated viewing system. 30 winners across all five competition categories received full or partial financial and creative backing based on their needs.
"Praise be to God. The movie #TheSchool won among the films in the feature film category #Daw'_film_competition. Congratulations to all the creative winners who won. You have always been an inspiration."
— Ayman Jamal
What We Delivered
- A fully designed and responsive competition website handling 178,300+ visits.
- A multi-channel marketing campaign across social media, influencers, YouTube, email, and print.
- A rigorous two-stage filtration and judging system with specialist committees.
- A dedicated digital evaluation system for the panel of cinematic expert judges.
- 30 winning films and scripts awarded full or partial MOC financial and creative backing.
- Winner announcements via MOC's Twitter to inspire the broader public.
Impact at a Glance
178,300
website visits during the competition period
258
creatives submitted their films and scripts
162
proposals accepted through the filtration process
30
winners across 5 competition categories
6
specialist committee members for nominations
5
long-time cinematic experts on the judging panel
4
months given to filmmakers to prepare submissions
10B SAR
national investment budget for the Saudi film industry
Lasting Value Created
The Daw' Film Competition gave Saudi filmmakers a credible, structured platform to be seen, supported, and empowered. By backing 30 films and scripts with financial and creative resources, the MOC and TAM helped move Saudi cinema from potential to production — one story at a time. The competition continues to inspire a new generation of filmmakers to pursue their craft, strengthening Saudi Arabia's position as an emerging force in the global film industry aligned with Vision 2030.