Films by Kaouther Ben Hania and Haifaa Al Mansour are among the 36 projects from across the Arab world and Africa that will receive grants from the Red Sea International Film Festival.
Mime, a new feature fiction by Ben Hania, whose previous film The Man Who Sold His Skin was nominated for a 2021 Oscar, will be receiving the grant. Additionally, Miss Camel, a feature by Al Mansour that tells the story of a Saudi teenager who strives to escape an arranged marriage and attend an art school outside the country, will also be awarded.
Two of the films selected for the grant had previously been supported at the development stage by the Red Sea Fund, including Captain Mbaye, directed by Rwanda's Joel Karekezi, and Aicha, directed by Mehdi M Barsaoui from Tunisia.
Ameer Fakher Eldin’s Yunan was also selected for the grant. Eldin, who was born in Ukraine to Syrian parents, now lives in Hamburg. The film participated in the Red Sea International Film Festival Project Market, which took place on the sidelines of the festival. The aim of the event is to connect producers of new film projects with international financiers in the industry.
All That’s Left of You by Palestinian-American writer, director and actress Cherien Dabis, and All Before You by Palestinian filmmaker Annemarie Jacir were also selected.
The grant, organisers said, underpins the Red Sea Film Festival’s mission to advocate for female filmmakers from the region, whether established or emerging names. This also includes Saudi filmmaker Sara Mesfer, who will receive funding for her debut feature.
Scroll through the gallery below to see Yusr Awards 2022 winners
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Attendees and winners on stage at the Closing Night Gala Awards at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah. All photos: Getty Images -
From left, Obaid Alwadaani; a guest; Ra’ed Alshammari; Mohammed Al Turki, chief executive of Red Sea International Film Festival; Yousra and Jomana AlRashid -
May Odeh, Hussein Mohamad, director Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji, Nida Manzoor and guests celebrate their award for Best Film for Hanging Gardens -
Hussein Mohamad, director Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji, May Odeh, Mohammed Al Turki, Jomana AlRashid with other guests, celebrate the Best Film win for Hanging Gardens -
From left, Ahmed Zitouni, director Damien Ounouri, Imen Nel, Tahar Zaoui and Fouad Trifi with the award for Best Actress presented to Adila Bendimerad -
Obaid Alwadaani and Ra’ed Alshammari with the cast and crew with the Red Sea Competition jury prize for for Within Sand -
'Hanging Gardens' director Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji with a guest -
Naomi Campbell at the event -
From left, Ozzy Agu, a guest, Joana Hadjithomas and Shahad Ameen -
From left, Ahmed Zitouni, Damien Ounouri and Imen Nel -
Antoine Khalife, Yousra, Mohammed Al Turki and Jomana AlRashid -
Antoine Khalife, director of Arab programs and film classics at the Red Sea International Film Festival, picked up the award for Best Director on behalf of Lotfy Nathan -
Ra’ed Alshammari celebrates the Red Sea Competition jury prize win for Within Sand -
A guest at the event -
Obaid Alwadaani, guest and Ra’ed Alshammari with a guest at the event -
Director Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji was awarded the prize for Best Cinematic Achievement at the Closing Night Gala Awards -
Kaleem Aftab and Charlene Deleon-Jones with the Film AlUla Audience Award, given to director He Shuming for Ajoomma in the Best Film category -
Celine Daemen won the Virtual Reality award -
Thai actor Suppasit Jongcheveevat at the event -
Actress Sarah Taibah at the event -
Zeyad Alhusaini attends -
Director Reza Jamali, centre, was awarded the prize for Best Screenplay for A Childless Village -
Suede Brooks attends -
Sherif Mounir and Mike Tyson at the event -
Kelly Gale at the event -
Jawahine Zentar, right, won the Gold Yusr for Short Competition for the feature On my Father's Grave -
Pedro Harres won the Gold Yusr Red Sea Virtual Reality for From the Main Square -
Jawahine Zentar -
Jawahine Zentar celebrates her win
The fund is awarding 25 films in pre-production, including fiction, documentaries, animations, series, shorts and immersive projects. Grants are also being given to 11 films that are in post-production.
“We have been impressed by the quality of submissions received this year which subsequently made it a challenge to narrow the selection down to 25,” said Mohammed Al Turki, chief executive of the Red Sea International Film Festival Foundation.
"We are confident the Red Sea Funds will support the winners through the creative process to help share these important stories and showcase a raft of exciting new and established Saudi, Arab and African talent."
The 11 films that received post-production grants include Norah, a Saudi film shot in AlUla, directed by Tawfik Alzaidi and produced by Paul Miller; Blacklight, directed by Karim Bensalah and produced by Oualid Baha, which won the Final Cut Prize at Venice Film Festival; and Thiiird, directed by Lebanese filmmaker Karim Kassem.
“The 11 selected films show enormous potential as groundbreaking stories that will capture the imagination of global audiences and will benefit most from a final boost of funding to allow these films to reach their full potential,” Al Turki added.
Scroll through the gallery below to see red carpet photos from the Red Sea International Film Festival 2022
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Priyanka Chopra at the screening of What's Love Got To Do With It? at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. All photos: Getty Images -
Indian actor Shahrukh Khan at the event -
Sharon Stone at the event -
Michelle at the What's Love Got To Do With It? screening -
Kaleem Aftab, Kajol and Shahrukh Khan at the screening of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge -
Andy Garcia at the event -
Julianne at the What's Love Got To Do With It? screening -
Alessandra Ambrosio at the event -
Naughty Boy, Jemima Khan and Sajal Ali at the Opening Night Gala -
The Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge screening at the Red Sea International Film Festival -
Kaleem Aftab and Antoine Khalife at the event -
Indian composer A R Rahman -
Naughty Boy, Jemima Khan, Sajal Ali, Shabana Azmi, Jeff Mirza and chief executive of Red Sea International Film Festival, Mohammed Al Turki, during the Opening Night Gala -
Fatima Al-Banawi, far right, and guests at the event -
British director Guy Ritchie at the event -
American model Jasmine Tookes -
Eleonora Brunacci and Mariano Di Vaio at the event -
Oliver Stone, president of the Red Sea Features Competition Jury -
Shah Rukh Khan, left, and Mohammed Al Turki -
Spanish actress Maria Pedraza at the event -
Thai actress Bella Ranee Campen at the screening of What's Love Got To Do With It? -
Lebanese actress Stephanie Saliba -
Indian actress Freida Pinto at the event -
American actress Lucy Hale -
Iranian model Mahlagha Jaberi -
A performance during the Opening Night Gala -
Guests at the Bruno Mars performance -
Nicolas Mouawad, centre, at the event -
Mohammed Al Turki, chief executive of Red Sea International Film Festival, right, with Ritchie -
The second Red Sea International Film Festival is on until December 10
