DUBAI: Saudi director Khaled Nadershah’s short film “ESC” has been selected for the Red Sea International Film Festival, which takes place in Jeddah from Dec. 4-13. 

The film is screening in the “New Saudi Cinema Shorts” category, a section dedicated to emerging voices in the Kingdom’s film industry.

“It means a lot to have a project with this type of unique, experimental style make it in a category like that,” the director of the 25-minute film told Arab News.

“ESC,” named after the escape key on a keyboard, follows Hulum, a young woman burdened by grief and the responsibility of caring for her family. Her only refuge lies in a virtual reality game where she transforms into Esc, a fearless and empowered version of herself. 

“The movie tackles more the philosophy of escapism itself,” Nadershah, a graduate of London’s MetFilm School, explained. “We often believe that if we move somewhere new, reach a certain destination, or accomplish something specific, everything will be fine. But even then, some struggles stay with us. The only real way to overcome them is to face them.”

The film’s central theme of escapism reflects a consistent thread in Nadershah’s work. “The concept has been roaming my mind for a while now; even my first feature film, ‘Exit 5,’ speaks on the desire to escape in one way or another,” he said.

A lifelong anime fan, Nadershah found in the art form a perfect medium for “ESC.”

He said: “I’ve always been a huge fan of anime. However, I never thought I would be creating it myself. The first type of animation introduced to us in Saudi Arabia was through Spacetoon, which presented Japanese-style anime.

“Anime has so many subgenres, so you need to find one that pays true homage to your culture,” he said. “A big motif in the film (are) pink Taif roses. I chose them because they resemble cherry blossoms in Japan, so it was a nice way to link and merge the two worlds together.”

The film is not entirely animated or set in a virtual world, however.

“It’s not through virtual reality per se,” he said. “The character uses the VR device to transfer from one world to the other, so it was the perfect tool to transition from the vivid and colorful world inside her head to the dull and gray reality she faces in her daily life.”

Nadershah’s work as innovation and data intelligence manager at the Saudi Film Commission also shaped his creative process. “Being exposed to how filmmakers around the world are telling their stories in immersive and experimental ways really inspired me,” he said. 

Reflecting on both the film and the broader industry, he added: “The film sector is going through a transitional period. What used to sell before doesn’t anymore; audiences have become more refined, and technology is changing everything. But I believe we’re figuring out the next step, and it’s an exciting time to be part of that evolution.”