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Film is a rapidly growing industry in Saudi Arabia, with cinemas reopening less than ten years ago for the first time since the 1980s. When Blake Donovan, the founder of Sunflower Seed Foundation, first visited Saudi Arabia on a college trip in 2019, the only film school was at an all-women’s university. Deeply inspired by the creativity and passion shown by the students there, he created the Sunflower Seed Foundation in 2021 to uplift Saudi women filmmakers and create career opportunities for them in the United States.
“It was one of those things where you don't know where life's going to take you. And then you look back, and you're like, ‘oh, wow, this was a life-changing moment for me,’” says Donovan.
At the time, cinemas had just been legalized as part of a series of reforms enacted by the Saudi government, and Donovan found excitement and encouragement around the growing film industry. Before, there was doubt among students as to whether they'd be able to pursue their dreams or seek careers in their country, and many of the women Donovan met had spent their college years advocating for the film industry.
Cultural exchange has played a significant role in the foundation's mission from the very beginning. “There is this element of people coming together and building a bridge between places and cultures and people who have different outlooks on life. I think there's really a value in that,” says Donovan.
The foundation offers programs for women to apply to, including fellowships and networking events. This summer, Sunflower Seed Foundation is running a program with five selected fellows called the LA26 Animation Intensive. The program will be held in August and is a week-long, experiential crash course in 3D animation production management. Partnering with LEGO Entertainment, the women will work as a production company using real scripts, 3D models, and other materials from previously released LEGO shows. There will also be networking opportunities for the fellows.
While there have been some challenges coming with working abroad, Donovan finds that the in-person connections remind him of the importance of the foundation's work.
“Distance has been tough, but being able to actually go to Saudi and speak with these people in person and just connect with them is key,” he says. “When you work together as a team, you see what the value is in what you're doing, the light in the eyes of our fellows and how excited they are… it feels very much worth it.”
He also emphasizes the importance of the fellows’ support systems, saying,
“It was really awesome to see how encouraging (their friends and families) were to our fellows and how they supported them. I met some of their mothers, and they were very supportive and very proud of their daughters.”
Support is at the heart of the foundation. Donovan urges industry members to continue reaching out and inspiring people.
“I think that people in this industry have a really incredible heart. There's a reason that they're involved in this industry of connecting people to emotions and experience. They would be very receptive and understanding of the fact that their words have such a wonderful impact, and they can really encourage others through just a conversation. So continuing to be open to having those conversations, that's how you can support people.”
More information about Sunflower Seed Foundation can be found on their website, sunflowerseedfoundation.org, along with their Spotlight series, which highlights different Saudi women filmmakers.
