Sudan Collage is part of the broader NEXT LEVEL - Transforming Sudan project, which aims to strengthen knowledge about Sudan's cultural diversity and enrich cultural exchange. In 2022, four intensive film training sessions took place, bringing together young independent filmmakers from different regions of the country to produce their own short films on socially relevant topics. The film training sessions took place in the cities of Abri, Kadguli, El Fasher and Port Sudan. These training sessions led to the creation of 19 short films that reflect the diversity of Sudanese cultures and perspectives.
Five film festivals were organised in 2023 to showcase the produced films. The name of the festival "Cinema Collage 1907" was chosen and references both the first film screening in Sudan in 1907 and the 19 produced short films. These film festivals provided a platform for discussion and exchange on pressing social issues and the cultural diversity of Sudan. The film festivals took place in spring 2023 in Abri and Port Sudan, and were held in a smaller form in Kassala, Sudan, as well as Cairo, Egypt, and Berlin, Germany, after the outbreak of war on 15 April. The films produced in the different regions not only represent the regional diversity of Sudan, but also contributed to regional exchange.
Discussion panels during the film festivals' supporting program connected the Sudanese film scene with the local film scene in each community. As part of the Cairo Film Festival, the first panel discussion focused on the influence of films on society, particularly through the perspective and work of young filmmaker Afraa Saad. To complement the CC1907 festival in Cairo, a two-part workshop was organized to strengthen the future common paths of Sudanese cinema. In the first part of the workshop, 15 aspiring filmmakers received training on the introduction to screenwriting. The second part of the workshop focused on raising third-party funding.
