Red Sea Festival's special award goes to first Rohingya-language film
What's the story
The fifth edition of the Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, concluded with an awards ceremony on Thursday night. The event was headlined by Akio Fujimoto's Lost Land, which won the prestigious Golden Yusr for Best Feature Film. This marks a significant achievement as Lost Land is the first feature film in the Rohingya language. The film had its world premiere at Venice earlier this year and won the Special Jury Prize there.
Film's theme
'Lost Land' tells story of Rohingya refugees
Lost Land narrates the harrowing tale of two young siblings who escape persecution in Myanmar and embark on a dangerous journey to reunite with their uncle in Malaysia. Sean Baker, head of the feature jury, presented the Golden Yusr to Fujimoto and described the film as one that "confronts the plight of displaced children with unflinching empathy and poetic urgency." The award also comes with a cash prize of $100K.
Other awards
'All That's Left of You' won silver Yusr
The Silver Yusr for Feature Film was awarded to All That's Left of You by Palestinian director Cherien Dabis. The film chronicles three generations of a Palestinian family dealing with displacement yet holding onto the hope of returning home. Best Actor went to George Khabbaz for his performance in Yunan, while Seo Su-Bin was named Best Actress for her role in The World of Love.
Other winners
'Hijra' and 'Nighttime Sounds' also bagged awards
Saudi director Shahad Ameen's Hijra won both the Yusr Jury Prize and the Film AlUla Best Saudi Film Award. The Yusr for Cinematic Achievement was awarded to Zhang Zhongchen's Nighttime Sounds. In the shorts competition, Said Zagha's Coyotes won the Golden Yusr for Best Short Film, while Karim Eldon Elalfy's Empty Lands took home the Silver Yusr.