The award was handed out by Red Sea Festival execs Mohammed Al Turki, Jomana Al-Rashid, and Egyptian actress Yousra.
Red Sea International Film Festival (RedSeaIFF) has announced the winners of the Red Sea competition sections for its second edition.
Iraqi filmmaker Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji picked up the Golden Yusr for Best Feature Film and the Yusr Award for Best Cinematic Achievement at the Red International Sea Film Festival with his debut feature Hanging Gardens.
The film tells the story of a young rubbish picker in Baghdad who comes across a sex doll, igniting a series of perilous events and encounters.
The film’s cinematographer, Duraid Munajim, won the Silver Yusr for Best Cinematic Achievement.
Celebrating the boldness and innovation in film, the Yusr awards present the biggest prizes in the region for both emerging and established voices across the formats of fiction, documentary, animation, and virtual reality. The awards were presented at a glittering ceremony with attendance comprised of international talent from across the film industry, and hosted by presenter Raya Abirached and Mo Islam.
Academy Award-winning and internationally renowned actor and filmmaker Jackie Chan received the Golden Yusr Honorary Award, recognising his talents and contribution to the industry, paving the way as a legendary actor, director, producer, and stuntman. Jackie Chan is joined by Yousra, Shah Rukh Khan, and Guy Ritchie who received Yusr Honorary Awards at the opening ceremony of the festival.
In other top prizes, American filmmaker Lotfy Nathan won the Yusr Award for Best Director for his Tunisia-set debut feature Harka, and Saudi Arabian director Mohammed Alatawi won the Red Sea: Competition Jury Trophy for Within Sand. Iranian filmmaker Reza Jamali won Best Screenplay for A Childless Village.
The Golden Yusr for short film went to On my Father’s Grave by Jawahine Zentar. The silver award was given to Will my Parents Come to See me, by Muhamed Bashiir Harawe.
The Virtual Reality Golden Yusr was given to From the Main Square by Pedro Harres and the Virtual Reality Silver Yusr was awarded to Eurydice by Celine Daemen.
In the acting categories, Adila Bendimerad won Best Actress for her performance in the Algerian costume drama The Last Queen, and Adam Bessa won Best Actor for Harka.
The Film AlUla Best Saudi Film Award went to How I Got There, by Zeyad Al Husaini. The Film AlUla Audience Award, meanwhile, was given to Ajoomma by He Shuming.
Speaking about the awards, Mohammed Al Turki, CEO of RedSeaIFF, said: “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.”
