“In Flames”, the Pakistani horror film directed by Zarrar Kahn, screened in the Filmmakers’ Fortnight earlier this year, received the Golden Yusr (“Coral”) for best film in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The Red Sea International Film Festival closed this Thursday, December 7 with the screening of Michael Mann’s new film Ferrari, partly financed by Saudi funds, after an awards ceremony rich in stars and emotions. After Diane Kruger, Ranveer Singh and Abdullah Al-Sadhan last week, it is the turn of Nicolas Cage to receive an honorary award for his entire career, who among others came to present the new film by Kristoffer Borgli , Dream Scenario. And among the celebrities present last night in Jeddah, we will remember Gwyneth Paltrow, Andrew Garfield, Halle Berry, Adrien Brody and Henry Golding.
First feature film
This year’s jury, chaired by Baz Luhrmann, also crowned In Flames in a competition dedicated to Arab, Asian and African cinematography. Already a sensation at Cannes, Pakistani director Zarrar Kahn’s first feature follows the precarious existence of a mother and her family, disrupted when the family patriarch dies. They must then choose between facing their past or letting themselves be carried away by their fears. The film should arrive in French theaters in 2024, where it is distributed by The Jokers.
Mouna Hawa crowned best actress
Among the other awarded titles, Six Feet on Earth by Karim Bensalah took home the prize for best screenplay, while Mouna Hawa was crowned best actress for her role in Inshallah un fils by Amjad Al Rasheed. Augure by Baloji, in theaters since November 29, received the prize for best cinematographic contribution, while Les Filles d’Olfa, by Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania and released last summer, was crowned best documentary.
The list of feature films from the 3rd edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival:
- Golden Yusr for best film: In Flames by Zarrar Kahn (Pakistan/Canada)
- Best director: Sunday by Shokir Kholikov (Uzbekistan)
- Best screenplay: Six Feet on Earth by Karim Bensalah (Algeria/France)
- Best actress: Mouna Hawa in Inshallah a son by Amjad Al Rasheed (Jordan/Saudi Arabia/France)
- Best actor: Saleh Bakri in The Teacher by Farah Nabulsi
- Best cinematographic contribution: Augure by Baloji (DRC/Belgium)
- Best documentary: Les Filles d’Olfa by Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisia/France/Germany)
- Chopard Emerging Talent Trophy: Nour Alkhadra, actress (Saudi Arabia)
- AlUla Audience Award for a Saudi film: Norah by Tawfik Alzaidi