The Red Sea Souk, the industry arm of the Red Sea International Film Festival (4-13 December, Jeddah), which focuses on cinema and filmmakers from Africa and Asia, this year presented 40 feature films and series at the development or work-in-progress stage. Holly Daniel, head of the Red Sea Souk (see the interview), calls it “a vital part of our industry strand that champions the next generation of storytellers”. She added that previously presented projects such as Zain Duraie’s Sink [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] were part of this year’s festival competition, with the latter film winning the Best Screenplay Award (see the news). The Red Sea Souk welcomed 166 exhibitors and boasted attendance levels almost double those of 2024.

The three separate juries gave out ten cash awards – two for works in progress, six for projects in development and two for series projects – which were announced on 10 December. Additionally, the event’s partners – including French funding body the CNC – funded over 20 cash and in-kind prizes.

The main Production Award in the development category was given to Maja Haj’s Playhouse, which revolves around a young Palestinian hiding in his ancestral family’s home in Jaffa, determined to get it back. Anocha Suwichakornpong’s creative documentary Fiction, which follows survivors of the 2010 military crackdown in Thailand, came second. About Love and September Laws by Mohamed Kordofani and Price of Evil by Ibrahim Mursal pocketed Development Awards, while Cold Ashes Can Cause Forest Fires and the auteur behind it, Ashmita Guha Neosi, won the Breakthrough Award for a Debut Director. Furthermore, a Special Mention was offered to To Catch a Falling Sky by Cheta Chukwu.

The works in progress that received accolades from the jury were Yesterday the Eye Didn't Sleep by Rakan Mayasi and Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo’s Benimana. The Red Sea Souk also included presentations of upcoming series, and two of them, Side Effects by Hind Metwalli and Money Town by Tony Koros, pocketed equal cash awards.

Apart from the project presentations, the Red Sea Souk also offered a jam-packed series of debates (Souk Talks) and a mentoring programme for emerging filmmakers (Souk Talents).

Here is the full list of award winners:

Red Sea Souk Projects in Development Awards

$80,000 Red Sea Souk Production Award
Playhouse - Maha Haj (Palestine/Germany/France/Cyprus)
Producer: Thanassis Karathanos (Pallas Film GmbH)

$50,000 Red Sea Souk Production Award
Fiction - Anocha Suwichakornpong (Thailand)
Producer: Mai Meksawan (Diversion)

$25,000 Red Sea Souk Development Award
About Love and September Laws - Mohamed Kordofani (Sudan/France/Germany/Sweden)
Producer: Khalid Awad (Klozium Studios)

$25,000 Red Sea Souk Development Award
Price of Evil - Ibrahim Mursal (Norway/Sudan)
Producer: Jonas Bruun (Vitri Pictures)

$20,000 Red Sea Souk Breakthrough Award for a Debut Director
Cold Ashes Can Cause Forest Fires - Ashmita Guha Neosi (France/India)
Producer: Avantika Singh Desbouvries (Salt for Sugar Films)

$15,000 Red Sea Souk Jury Special Mention Award
To Catch a Falling Sky - Cheta Chukwu (Nigeria/UK)
Producer: Sheila Nortley (Igodo Films)

Red Sea Souk Series Awards

$10,000 Red Sea Souk Series Award
Money Town - Tony Koros (Kenya)
Producer: Toni Kamau (We Are Not the Machine)

Side Effects - Hind Metwalli (Egypt)
Producer: TBC

Red Sea Souk Works in Progress Awards

Red Sea Souk Post-production Award with a grant of $40,000
Benimana - Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo (Rwanda/Gabon/Ivory Coast/France/Norway)
Producer: Samantha Biffot (EJO CINE)

Red Sea Souk Post-production Jury Special Mention Award with a grant of $15,000
Yesterday the Eye Didn't Sleep - Rakan Mayasi (Belgium/Palestine/Lebanon)
Producer: Jennifer Ritter (Atata)

Additional awards

Arab Cinema Center (ACC) Award (for a producer)
Fahd Samman – Dhel (Evanescence) (Saudi Arabia)

Arab Radio and Television Network (ART) Award
A Noble Departure - Dahlia Baeshen (Saudi Arabia)
Producer: Rasha E Alemam (Yellow Camel Studios)

Dhel (Evanescence) – Dania Altayeb
Producer: Fahd Samman (LOOK! Creative Studio)

ART Award
Playhouse - Maha Haj 

Blue Bee Productions Award
Positive - Hanaa Saleh Alfassi (Saudi Arabia/USA)
Producer: Sue-Ellen Chitunya (263 Reels Productions)

CNC Award
The Daughter - Tian Guan (Hong Kong/Tawain/France)
Producer: Vivian Bao (Uluka Studio Limited)

DTS Award
Dhel (Evanescence) – Dania Altayeb

Filmmore Award
Benimana - Marie-Clémentine Dusabejambo

Freshly Ground Stories & Fineprint Awards
To Catch a Falling Sky - Cheta Chukwu

Philax - Ruken Tekes (Turkey/Italy/Greece)
Producer: Yorgos Tsourgiannis (Sarya Films Collective)

Habbar Award
Green Corpse - Khalid Zidan (Saudi Arabia)
Producer: Bakr Alduhaim (Vues Consultancy & Film Production)

ITHRA Award
Green Corpse - Khalid Zidan 

Leyth Production & Easy Distribution Award
About Love and September Laws - Mohamed Kordofani

Easy Distribution Award
The Prodigal Son - Rani Massalha (Tunisia/France/Egypt/Saudi Arabia/Belgium/Qatar)
Producer: Habib Attia (Cinetelefilms)

MAD Solutions Award
Infidels - Eli Jean Tahchi (Canada)
Producers: Yanick Letourneau, Pierre Villepelet (Peripheria)

Oticons Award
RIA - Arvin Belarmino (Philippines/Norway/Singapore/Saudi Arabia/Japan)
Producer: Kristine De Leon (WAF Studios Inc)

Shift Studios Awards
A Noble Departure - Dahlia Baeshen
About Love and September Laws - Mohamed Kordofani
Positive - Hanaa Saleh Alfassi