DHAHRAN: It has been a busy month for Hajar Al-Naim, a Saudi film producer paving the way for creatives by building a road map for the region’s burgeoning film industry.
Her company, Studio Production Training (SPT), has been taking its Saudi-centric model to new heights.
After earning her master’s degree from Loyola Marymount University in the US, Al-Naim returned to her homeland to build the infrastructure that budding local and international filmmakers previously lacked in the Kingdom.
Her company, launched in 2021, connects filmmakers with qualified below-the-line (BTL) talent, the support and film crew teams working behind the scenes on productions. Cinematographers, sound technicians, editors and specialists in makeup, hair and wardrobes play a vital role in film. High-level creative roles, such as screenwriters, directors and producers as well as the principal cast are known as above-the-line talent.
The short courses Al-Naim curates with experts in the field are held in Riyadh. (Supplied)
At SPT, which is headquartered in Riyadh, Al-Naim’s custom program provides training, mentoring, production resources and access to networks within the industry. “We’re on a mission to cultivate a robust infrastructure of BTL talent in Saudi Arabia,” Al-Naim told Arab News.
“The main goal of the fund is to inspire and attract the new generation to join the field of filmmaking, and we will work to train and develop them through our partnerships and initiatives,” Al-Naim said. “We seek to celebrate the voices of professionals in this sector, and we work to build a bridge between young talents and expert filmmakers to develop the industry and enhance the interaction between them, and bring them and their work to the world.
“We are the first of its kind in the Kingdom and I’m so glad that we’re making history, starting from our training program that we’re doing with the Cultural Fund,” she added.
“We’re filling in the gap in the industry where we can take all the participants who want to join the film industry and take them through our ecosystem from education into job placements.”
The short courses Al-Naim curates with experts in the field are held in Riyadh. From there, SPT recruits working professionals to bring them on to film sets. Al-Naim said that professionals of all stripes can find a niche in the industry.
“We want people from different industries to realize that they can use their skills in the film industry. The interior designers, the fashion designers, accountants, project managers … they can use their education and their degree and put it toward the industry,” she added.
The training programs are meant to be intense. Her team curates each course — which usually lasts two to five days — with an instructor, focusing on three pillars: Knowledge, mindset and safety.
“We’re trying to apply a high-caliber, world-class kind of training, because we want those international productions, when they come to the region, to not have to bring their whole crew to Saudi Arabia. They use our crew,” she added.
This year, the Saudi Film Festival returned to the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, or Ithra, in Dhahran. Al-Naim’s company offered prizes to specific filmmakers, all of whom were nominated for the Saudi Film Festival awards.
Amr Al-Ammari, who won the gold award for cinematography, shared his gratitude during the ceremony.
“Winning the award means a lot to me as it is recognition and appreciation of the effort and many years spent in filmmaking,” he said.
“The Cultural Fund has been a great support to me and my colleagues in the field by funding the film ‘Fever Dream,’ which enabled us to create an enduring story.”
Aside from her CEO duties at SPT, Al-Naim is also a founding member of the Saudi Film Council, which launched in 2018, and the founder and chairwoman of Her Films, a Saudi nonprofit dedicated to the elevation and empowerment of women in film.
The short courses Al-Naim curates with experts in the field are held in Riyadh. (Supplied)
“A lot of filmmakers appreciate all the initiatives that we’re doing because they know that it’s coming from me … they know that it’s coming from someone who struggled like them. They appreciate the experience that I went through to be able to step back and try to support them,” she said.
Al-Naim’s face lights up when she speaks about her team. “I met Steve (Stephen Andrew Martin) when I was in (graduate) school. I’ve done my first movie with him, so we have a lot in common — and we love supporting others. And it’s interesting for an American white guy who comes from Texas originally to share the same values with me,” she said of her co-founder.
Martin brings his connections, expertise and passion to SPT.
“Communication is the key in our organization,” Al-Naim added, highlighting the importance of having a clear vision for the organization. “We have a document called ‘Compass,’ and we try to identify where we’re going, why we’re doing what we’re doing, how can we reach the right audience, and how can we leave them with the best feeling and experience.”
SPT’s first collaboration was with streaming giant Netflix as part of a program. Trained professionals that went through the program ended up on Netflix series.
SPT training sessions, for professionals and beginners, are held in-person at the Riyadh location, with class sizes kept to a maximum of 15 people.
Since its launch, about 300 trainees have benefited from SPT’s program.
The organization has previously brought in instructors from the UK and Turkiye, and recently began a collaborative sponsoring program with the US Embassy, for the American Film Showcase.
Despite some of the hurdles and red tape, Al-Naim is hopeful that the Kingdom’s filmmaking industry is bright. With ample opportunities opening for aspiring filmmakers, she sees the sector as a thriving hub to continue telling Saudi stories.
“It’s all going toward the right direction,” Al-Naim said.
