The Red Sea Film Festival in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has gained a lot of spotlight in recent days. The film festival honors emerging talents from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world and the rest of the Global South.
The film festival, held at The Ritz-Carlton, Jeddah, was a massive success. Hollywood celebrities Halle Berry, Adrian Brody, Jason Statham, Henry Golding, Andrew Garfield, Gwyneth Paltrow, as well as Saudi actor Abdullah Al Sadhan, Indian actress Alia Bhatt, Indian actor Ranveer Singh and Egyptian-British actor Amir El-Masry, attended the film festival.
Which films won awards at the Red Sea Film Festival?
The film festival named the recipients of this year’s Yusr Awards. The Teacher, Sunday, Dear Jassi and In Flames were among the winners of this year’s Yusr Awards.
The Teacher, by British-Palestinian director Farah Nabulsi, won the prestigious award. Dear Jassi, a film inspired by a real-life honor killing in Punjab, also won the Silver Yusr Award for best feature film at the prestigious film festival.
In Flames, a 2023 Pakistani-Canadian horror film written and directed by Zarrar Kahn, also won the award at the film festival.
The winners at the 2023 Red Sea International Film Festival
Golden Yusr for Best Feature Film
In Flames, Zarrar Kahn
Silver Yusr for Best Feature Film
Dear Jassi / Tarsem Singh
Jury Prize
Farah Nabulsi, The Teacher
Best Director
Shokir Kholikov, Sunday
Best Actor
Saleh Bakri, The Teacher
Best Actress
Mouna Hawa, Inshallah A Boy
Best Screenplay
Six Feet Over, Karim Bensalah and Jamal Belmahi
Asharq Documentary (Best Documentary In Competition)
Kaouther Ben Hania, Four Daughters
Chopard Rising Talent Trophy
Nour Alkhadra
Film AlUla Audience Award: Saudi Film
Norah, Saudi Arabia (Competition)
Film AlUla Audience Award: Non-Saudi Film
Hopeless, South Korea (Festival Favourites)
Red Sea Film Festival
Nicolas Cage, an American actor and film producer, received an honorary prize for his cinematic contributions to the film industry. He said that he had wanted to visit Saudi Arabia ever since he was a boy.
Saleh Bakri was awarded the prize for best actor. Mouna Hawa received the best actress award for her performance in Inshallah A Boy.
Read More: Halle Berry attends Red Sea Film Festival; See insights
Nicolas Cage, Andrew Garfield, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Baz Luhrmann also gave master classes at the film festival.