Sard Netflix

Netflix To Launch New Writing Program for Women Screenwriters in Egypt

Introducing ‘Because She Created’

Sard Netflix

Just weeks after Netflix announced wanting to help foster more female talents in the creative field, the US streaming giant is keeping on its path towards inclusivity and equality through a new tailor-made program set to launch in Egypt soon. Openly committed to amplifying women’s voice in the industry, this time, the California-based company has just announced its new partnership with Sard, a dedicated hub for scriptwriters in the Arab world, to give more female screenwriters access into the creative field by developing their writing skills and storytelling abilities through a made-to-measure seminar and classes. 

“Because She Created” will seek to incubate 20 women from all over Egypt and introduce grass-root level talents to the relevant tools needed to advance and further develop their way into the creative industry. Part of the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, which aims to create new opportunities for underrepresented communities within the entertainment industry, the five-day program, set to take place in Cairo, will include several upskilling classes ranging from creative expression sessions to panel talks with industry acclaimed figures and more. 

“Through our partnership with Sard, we are mining a wealth of untapped potential from Egypt, an integral component of the MENA creative community, and introducing storytelling as a viable career option for the next generation of Egyptian women. We want to create more diverse content to ensure that women are represented both on screen and behind the camera, and partnerships like this allow us to equip them with the skills they need to tell the best version of their stories,” commented Ahmed Sharkawi, Director of Arabic Series at Netflix. 

Echoing on his statement, founder of Sard, Mariam Naoum said: “Sard believes that expressing oneself through writing is the first step to self-discovery, and we’re proud to have discovered talent through this program that we feel will one day become scriptwriters of the future. The Arab world, including Egypt, is ripe with talent. What they need is concerted effort and professional support to nurture their growth. Women in the region, in particular, need this kind of incubation and technical support to gain access to opportunities that advance their professional growth in an industry where their presence is still limited. Sard is trying to achieve this through the work we do, and through partnerships with organizations like Netflix that help steer talent in the right direction.”

Through an array of artistic activities and crafts of all kinds, Netflix is, once again, amplifying voices and narratives that have, for far too long, been muted, silenced, or simply pushed away from the industry’s center stage. With Mo Amer’s semi-biographical series spotlighting the everyday life of being an immigrant in the United States airing soon, Netflix is proving to be well-embarked on its self-imposed mission to represent those that struggle to be represented— an initiative we  hope to see more of.

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