As the 2nd Annual Red Sea International Film Festival winds to a close, on December 8th, it gave out it’s awards for the Red Sea Competition sections in the Yusr Awards.
The award presentation followed the star-studded world premiere of Valley Road from writer/director Khalid Fahad earlier that evening closing the festival.
Hosted by Raya Abirached and Mo Islam, the Golden Yusr for best Feature Film was awarded to Hanging Gardens. The Yusr awards represent the biggest prize in the region for emerging and established voices in fiction, documentary, animation, and virtual reality. They shine a light on films from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Asia, and Africa.
Academy Award-winning actor and filmmaker Jackie Chan received the Golden Yusr Honorary Award at the ceremony joining Yousra, Shah Rukh Khan, and Guy Ritchie who received Yusr Honorary Awards at the opening ceremony of the festival.
Mohammed Al Turki; CEO of the Red Sea IFF added: “Over, the past week, we have come together to celebrate the film industry and the incredible talent we have both in the region and internationally. The second edition of the festival has been a huge success welcoming delegates from all over the world to this incredible city and we are delighted to close the festival by championing the work of both emerging and already-established filmmakers from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world, Asia and Africa – congratulations to all the winners.
Adila Bendimerad was awarded Red Sea Competition Best Actress for The Last Queen, you can read our review of that film from Venice or from Red Sea IFF.
The full list of winners follows:
Film AlUla Audience Award for Best Saudi Film: HOW I GOT THERE, Zeyad Alhusaini (Kuwait, Saudi Arabia)
Film AlUla Audience Award for Best Film: AJOOMMA, He Shuming (Singapore, South Korea)
Silver Yusr for Red Sea Virtual Reality: EURYDICE, Celine Daemen (Netherlands)
Gold Yusr for Red Sea Virtual Reality: FROM THE MAIN SQUARE, Pedro Harres (Germany)
Silver Yusr for Short Competition: WILL MY PARENTS COME TO SEE ME, Muhamed Bashiir Harawe (Somalia, Austria, Germany)
Gold Yusr for Short Competition: ON MY FATHER’S GRAVE, Jawahine Zentar (Morocco, France)
Red Sea Competition Best Cinematic Achievement: Duraid Munajim for HANGING GARDENS (Iraq, Palestine, Egypt, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia)
Red Sea Competition Best Actor: Adam Bessa, For HARKA (Tunisia, France, Saudi Arabia)
Red Sea Competition Best Actress: Adila Bendimerad, FOR THE LAST QUEEN (Algeria, France, Saudi Arabia)
Red Sea Competition Best Screenplay: A CHILDLESS VILLAGE (SONSUZ) Reza Jamali (Iran)
Red Sea Competition Jury Prize: WITHIN SAND, Mohammed Alatawi (Saudi Arabia)
Red Sea Competition Best Director: Lotfy Nathan, For HARKA (Tunisia, France, Saudi Arabia)
Red Sea Competition Best Film: HANGING GARDENS, Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji (Iraq, Palestine, Egypt, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia)
Chopard Award – The Young Rising Star: Sara Taibah
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