Terrorism drama ‘Red Path’ takes top awards at Red Sea film festival 2024

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RSFF

Source: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for Red Sea International Film Festival

(l-r) Anissa Daoud, Sébastien Hussenot, Spike Lee, Lotfi Achour

Tunisian drama Red Path, directed by Lotfi Achour, scooped the Golden Yusr for best film and the prize for best director at the 4^th Red Sea International Film Festival on Thursday (December 12).

The main award was presented by jury head and Oscar-winning US filmmaker Spike Lee at a ceremony in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Scroll down for full list of winners

On stage, Lee declared that it was also Achour’s birthday, meaning the best film and director awards are quite the present, coming with cash prizes of $100,000 and $30,000 respectively.

The film, which premiered at Locarno, is inspired by the true story of two young shepherds who were attacked by a jihadist group. After one is killed, the other is forced to take the head of his cousin back home as a brutal message.

Presenting the best director award, juror and UK actress Minnie Driver said: “This director will live indelibly in my heart forever because it’s one of the most affecting, extraordinary and inspiring films I’ve ever seen.”

This year’s feature Red Sea: Competition strand included 16 titles from the Middle East, African and Asia, with a jury that also included Egyptian director Abu Bakr Shawky, Turkish actress Tuba Buyukustun and US actor and producer Daniel Dae Kim.

The Silver Yusr and a cash prize of $12,500 went to Mahdi Fleifel’s To A Land Unknown, the story of two Palestinian refugees saving for fake passports to get out of Athens. Star Mahmoud Bakri won best actor for his performance in the feature, which premiered in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes.

The best actress prize went to Mariam Sherif for Taghrid Aboulhassan’s Snow White. The role was notable as it marked the first time an Egyptian feature cast a woman with dwarfism in a leading role.

Honorary awards

Earlier in the ceremony, 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.

Accepting the honour, Davis said: “As I’ve journeyed through my career, I’ve been absolutely in shock – maybe not shock – that it’s been my sex and my blackness that has gotten in the way of what I live for. I think that my journey as an artist has been very equal to my journey as a human being and that is that the dragons that I have decided to slay in my life and in my career is that I absolutely matter.

“The greatest gift that I can give as an artist is to allow the world to know that people who look like me, they matter too. You can either leave something for people or leave something in people and what I choose to leave in people is this work that allows them to feel less alone. Thank for acknowledging that.”

Opening the night, Jomana R. 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.

“The Red Sea film festival represents a seismic shift in the landscape of cinema,” said Alrashid. “We are more than just a festival. We are a dynamic new hub that heralds the future of storytelling, emerging from the vibrant and complex landscapes of the Arab world, Asia and Africa. But our mission is clear – to amplify voices historically underserved, to create pathways for emerging talents, to redefine the traditional structures of cinema and to demonstrate that extraordinary stories can emerge from any corner of the world.

“As we approach our fifth year, we’re not merely celebrating a milestone. We are inspiring a generation of storytellers who will impact how humanity sees itself. We will continue to support emerging talents, amplify diverse narratives and create global platforms for local stories.”

The red carpet included appearances from Alia Bhatt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Halle Berry, Adrien Brody, Dev Patel, Jason Statham and Andrew Garfield, while award presenters also included John Boyega, Eiza Gonzalez, Taiwanese actress Ke-Xi Wu (Black Tea) and Senegalese filmmaker Ramata-Toulaye Sy (Banel & Adama).

The ceremony was followed by a screening of Modi – Three Days On The Wing Of Madness with its director Johnny Depp in attendance. The festival continues until Saturday, December 14.