The Red Sea International Film Festival's fifth edition delivered a landmark year for Arab Asian and African cinema, with major wins across the Souk Project Market and a historic collaboration with the Golden Globes, the Golden Globes officially partnered with the Red Sea International Film Festival for the first time, presenting its Omar Sharif and Horizon Awards at the festival to boost global recognition for Arab, Asian, and African talent.
Palestinian filmmaker Maha Haj's "Playhouse emerged as the standout title of the Souk Awards, while Hend Sabry and Alia Bhatt received top Golden Globes honors at a special ceremony in Jeddah.
Playhouse Dominates Red Sea Souk Awards
Maha Haj's upcoming feature Playhouse was the biggest winner of the Project Market Awards, securing the festival's top $80,000 Red Sea Souk Production Award and the $50,000 Arab Radio Television Network (ART) Award for an Arab project in development or production.
The project, produced by Thanassis Karathanos of Germany's Pallas Film, follows a young Palestinian from the Asia refugee camp who secretly lives on the roof of his family's former home in Jaffa that was taken from them during the 1948 Nakba and now occupied by an Israeli family.
Haj described the film as an exploration of exile, longing, and silent resistance, contrasting the "suffocating confines of the Aida refugee camp" with the "haunting elegance of the old Jaffa house."
Karathanos, who accepted the awards, has produced Oscar-nominated films including Ajami, The Man Who Sold His Skin and Four Daughters, and is producer on Cherien Dabis' 2025 Sundance title All That's Left of You, Jordon's Oscar entry.
Souk Celebrates New Voices Across Development, Production and Post-Production
The Souk, which showcased 40 projects, awarded 10 Jury-backed prizes funded by the Red Sea Fund, alongside a wide slate of partner awards. Winners included are:
Works-in-Progress:
- Yesterday the Eye Didn't Sleep by Rakan Mayasi - $15,000 Special Mention
- Ben'imana by Marie-Clementine Dusabejambo - $40,000 Post-Production Award
Series Awards:
- Money Town by Tony Koros - $10,000
- Side Effects by Hind Metwalli - $10,000
Projects in Development
- To Catch A Falling Sky by Cheta Chukwu – $15,000 Special Mention
- Cold Ashes Can Cause Forest Fires by Ashmita Guha Neosi – $20,000 Breakthrough Award
- Price of Evil by Ibrahim Mursal – $25,000 Development Award
- About Love and September Laws by Mohamed Kordofani – $25,000 Development Award
- Fiction by Anocha Suwichakornpong – $50,000 Production Award
- Playhouse by Maha Haj – $80,000 Production Award
Golden Globes Honor Alia Bhatt and Hend Sabry at Red Sea
In a milestone collaboration, the Golden Globes hosted a ceremony at the festival announcing Alia Bhatt as the honoree of the Golden Globes Horizon Award and Hend Sabry as the recipient of the Omar Sharif Award.
Golden Globes President Helen Hoehne described Bhatt as "one of the next generation's brightest and most talented stars," and praised Sabry as "a truly iconic performer and humanitarian."
Bhatt called her recognition "especially meaningful" at a time when global cinema is embracing more inclusive storytelling. Sabry, accepting her award, said she was honored to receive an award named after Omar Sharif, adding that her career has been devoted to telling complex stories about women.
The partnership between the Red Sea Festival and the Golden Globes marks a significant expansion of international visibility for regional talent, according to Red Sea Film Foundation Chariwoman Jomana Al-Rashid.
A Milestone Edition for the Festival
Celebrating its fifth year, the Red Sea International Film Festival continues to position Jeddah as global hub for cinema, showcasing new films, retrospectives, masterclasses and industry events. With tens of thousands of accredited visitors, the festival remains the Middle East and North Africa's largest celebration of screen culture.
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