Sixteen features, 18 shorts and 21 immersive virtual reality films were in the running for the awards across three categories.
The Red Sea International Film Festival, in partnership with Vox Cinemas, MBC Group, and Saudia Airlines, has announced the winners of the Red Sea competition sections, honouring films from the Arab world, Africa, and Asia.
Levan Koguashvili’s Brighton 4th has won best film, while Hamzah K. Jamjoom’s Rupture won best Saudi film.
Haider Rashid won best director for Europa and Adam Ali won Best Actor for his role in the film. Arawinda Kirana won best actress for her performance in Kamila Andini’s Yuni.
You Resemble Me, the debut feature of Egyptian-American filmmaker and journalist Dina Amer took home the Audience Award.
Darin J Sallam’s Farha was awarded the Special Mention prize. The Iranian film Hit the Road, by Amin Jafari, was awarded both the Jury Competition Prize as well as the award for best cinematic contribution. Syrian-Swiss film Neighbours by Mano Khalil won the prize for best screenplay.
The festival also handed out Yusr Awards, which recognise dynamic voices across short, feature and experimental filmmaking.
Samsara, a short immersive Taiwanese film by Hsin-Chien Huang was awarded the Immersive Silver Yusr. The golden counterpart of the award was given to the Danish-French film End of the Night by David Adler. Jordanian-German film Tala’vision by Murad Abu Eiseh was awarded the Golden Yusr in the shorts category.
This year’s jury included President of the Red Sea Features Competition, Academy Award-winning Italian director and writer Giuseppe Tornatore, Tunisian actress Hend Sabry, Palestinian-American director, writer, actress, and producer Cherien Dabis, Mexican festival director and founder of the Morelia International Film Festival Daniela Michel and Saudi film director Abdulaziz Alshlahei.
The Red Sea: Shorts Competition Jury was headed by Egyptian director Marwan Hamed and joined by Saudi Arabian actress and director Ahd Kamel and Finnish-Somali director and writer Khadar Ayderus.
Giuseppe Tornatore, President of the Red Sea Features Competition, said: “The nominees showcased an incredible range of talent across a diverse and fascinating breadth of themes. This has been an extraordinary experience, we have been moved, provoked and inspired by these films and it has demonstrated the exceptional filmmaking talent and compelling stories from the Arab world, Africa and Asia. The quality of the nominated films made many of our decisions very difficult.”
