Two juries led by Jury President Spike Lee deliberated to select winners across 14 categories. 16 feature films in competition as well as 48 films selected across New Saudi, New Cinema, Arab Shorts and International Shorts programs, were in the running for awards.
Tunisian director Lotfi Achour’s Red Path won the Yusr Award for best competition film and the best director honor at the fourth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia taking home cash prizes of $100,000 and $30,000 respectively.
The Silver Yusr Feature Film Award was won by Mahdi Fleifel for To A Land Unknown, a drama about young Palestinians caught in an eternal state of exile.
Little Jaffna, starring and directed by Lawrence Valin, was honored with the AlUla Audience Award International Film
Hobal from director Abdulaziz Alshlahei won the Saudi film audience award.
Jomana Alrashid, chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation, said that, “122 films played over 300 screenings, with 30,000 tickets issued. She added that 530 international delegates attended from 85 countries. On the industry side, there were 142 exhibitors at the Red Sea Souk, which included 1,730 delegates.”
Shivani Pandya Malhotra, Managing Director of RSIFF added: “In 2024, 50% of films at the Festival were world or international premieres, with 46 world premieres, 15 international premieres and 53 MENA premieres. That filmmakers chose to share their work with the world or the region for the first time at the Red Sea International Film Festival emphasizes its role as The New Home of Film. The variety of films at this year’s Festival takes the number of countries represented across the four editions to 85 – and we look forward to growing that number again in 2025”.
Honorary awards were given to Indian actress/producer Priyanka Chopra Jonas, presented by Sarah Jessica Parker, and Oscar-winning US actress/producer Viola Davis, presented by Saudi director Hana Al-Omair.
When her honor was unveiled Chopra Jonas said, “I am humbled to be recognized at the Red Sea International Film Festival, a celebration of storytelling that transcends language, borders and cultural divides. I have always believed in the universal power of entertainment to bring people together, and I applaud the Red Sea team for their commitment to showcasing the incredible talent and diversity of stories being told around the world—not just within Hollywood or Bollywood but far beyond.”
Spike Lee was this year’s RSIFF jury president.
List of Award Winners:
Asharq Documentary
Awarded for Best Documentary In Competition – $10 000 prize
Winner: Santiago Mazar for STATE OF SILENCE
Chopard Rising Talent Trophy
Winner: Roula Dakheellahah
Film AlUla Audience Award:
Winner: LITTLE JAFFNA – Directed by Lawrence Valin
Film AlUla Best Saudi Film Award
With a $50 000 prize
Winner: HOBAL – Directed by Abdulaziz Alshlahei
Shorts Competition
Silver Yusr for Best Short Film
With a $12 500 prize
Winner: ALAZAR – Directed by Baiza Hailu Lemma
Golden Yusr for Best Short Film
With a $25 000 prize
Winner: HATCH – Directed by Alireza Kazemipour and Panta Mosleh
Features
Best Cinematic Contribution
Winner: TO KILL A MONGOLIAN HORSE / Tao Qiu
Best Actor
Winner: Mahmoud Bakri / TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Best Actress
Winner: Mariam Sherif / SNOW WHITE
Best Screenplay
With a $10 000 prize
Winner: SONGS OF ADAM / Oday Rasheed
Best Director
With a $10 000 prize
Winner: Lotfi Achour / RED PATH
Jury Prize
With a $10 000 prize
Winner: SEEKING HAVEN FOR MR. RAMBO / Khaled Mansour
Silver Yusr for Best Feature Film
With a $30 000 prize
Winner: TO A LAND UNKNOWN / Mahdi Fleifel
Golden Yusr for Best Feature Film
With a $100 000
Winner: RED PATH / Lotfi Achour
The 2024 Red Sea International Film Festival was supported by:
Principal Sponsors: Saudi, Welcome to Arabia; MBC and Genesis Mohamad Yusuf Naghi.
Official Sponsors: TikTok; Saudia; Film AlUla; Chopard; SRMG and STC Group.
Strategic Sponsors of the Red Sea Souk: Cultural Development Fund and NEOM.
Support Sponsors: Nova Water; Mermaid Salon; Telfaz Studios and Getty Images.
