Ahmed Mourad Screenwriting Retreat — Dahab

Every memorable film begins somewhere small.

A character. A question. An image you can’t stop thinking about. Or simply an idea that keeps returning until you finally decide to write it.

For five days in Dahab, you’ll step away from the pace and distractions of everyday life and give that idea your full attention.

Led by acclaimed novelist and screenwriter Ahmed Mourad, this intensive screenwriting retreat is built around one purpose: helping you understand your story, shape it and move it forward.

This is not a series of passive lectures.

You’ll be writing, questioning, rebuilding, discussing and applying what you learn directly to your own project.

Set between the Red Sea and the mountains of Sinai, the retreat creates the kind of space that writing rarely gets in everyday life — uninterrupted time to think, experiment, watch, discuss and write.

Across five days, you’ll move through the essential stages of developing a screenplay.

DAY 1 — LOGLINE & PREMISE

Before building a screenplay, you need to understand what your story is really about.

The first day is about finding the core of your idea and learning how to express it clearly.

You’ll work on creating a strong logline, identifying the central dramatic question and developing your initial idea into a clear premise that can carry a full story.

Through practical exercises and examples from cinema, you’ll begin testing the strength and direction of your own project.

DAY 2 — CHARACTER FILE

Stories become memorable when their characters feel alive.

The second day focuses on building characters with real motivations, contradictions, desires, fears and conflicts.

You’ll explore what drives your protagonist, what stands in their way and how supporting characters contribute to the dramatic world of the story.

By the end of the session, you’ll have a clearer understanding of who your characters are — and why we should care about what happens to them.

DAY 3 — DRAMATIC CURVE

A strong idea and interesting characters are not enough on their own.

A screenplay needs movement.

On Day Three, you’ll work on the dramatic journey of your story: internal and external conflict, escalation, turning points and the relationship between character development and plot.

Through film analysis and practical exercises, you’ll begin mapping the dramatic curve of your own screenplay and understanding how tension is created and sustained.

DAY 4 — TREATMENT

Now the pieces begin to come together.

The fourth day focuses on moving from individual ideas, characters and dramatic moments into a complete cinematic treatment.

You’ll work on the beginning, middle and ending of your story, organize the main events and learn how to maintain clarity, rhythm and dramatic progression.

This is where your screenplay starts to become a complete journey rather than a collection of good ideas.

DAY 5 — SCENE BREAKDOWN

On the final day, the story moves closer to the page.

You’ll learn how to break the treatment into scenes and sequences, decide what each scene needs to achieve and understand how scenes connect to create rhythm and momentum.

The session also explores dialogue, visual storytelling, tension and scene construction.

You’ll begin writing and discussing scenes, with practical feedback that helps you take the next step into the actual screenplay.

THE WORK HAPPENS EVERY DAY

The retreat is designed around practice.

Every day includes writing exercises, film analysis, conversation and discussion of participants’ work.

You won’t simply hear about screenwriting techniques. You’ll use them on your own story as it develops throughout the five days.

There will also be space outside the main sessions to write, think, exchange ideas and reconnect with your project in an environment far removed from the routine of the city.

EARLY BIRD PRICE 43,000 EGP per person Limited early-bird places available.

THE 40-DAY SCREENPLAY CHALLENGE

Day Five is not the end.

It is the point where the next stage begins.

After the retreat, you’ll have 40 days to continue developing your project and complete your screenplay.

Once the screenplay is submitted, Ahmed Mourad will provide a written evaluation of the text, including feedback on its strengths, areas that need further work and guidance for the next stage of development.

The goal is simple:

Not to leave Dahab with another notebook full of ideas.

But to leave knowing what you are writing — and how to continue.

Five days to build the story. Forty days to write it.

💳 PAYMENT DETAILS Early Bird: 43,000 EGP per person Deposit: 15,000 EGP to secure your place The remaining balance is completed according to the payment schedule shared by SA Studios. After registration, our team will contact you with the payment instructions.

Limited seats are available to preserve the focus of the retreat and create enough space for meaningful discussion, practical work and close creative guidance.