Lost Land, the first feature ever be filmed in the Rohingya language, won the Golden Yusr at the 5th Red Sea International Film Festival on Thursday night (December 11).
Japanese director Akio Fujimoto collected Red Sea’s top prize alongside producers Kazutaka Watanabe and Sujauddin Karimuddin at the festival’s closing ceremony in Jeddah, Saudia Arabia. The award includes a cash prize of $100,000.
Scroll down for full list of winners
The film, which premiered in Venice Horizons where it won the special jury prize, follows two Rohingya siblings try to get from Rakhine State, Myanmar — where this Muslim minority has been persecuted for years — to an uncle in Malaysia, several thousand miles away.
Speaking after winning the award, director Fujimoto said: “In Saudi, there are many Rohingya people. There’s a huge population here too and this award will encourage the growing community so in that sense too this award is meaningful for us.”
Producer Karimuddin added: “I’m a Rohingya and this film preserve the language of the Rohingya. Our prosecutors, our oppressors want to erase not only our name but everything related to us. The film is a first step in preserving our culture, our songs, our storytelling and the beauty of the language itself. That’s why this first attempt encourages us to do more. And I hope this award and film encourages the young generation of Rohingya to come out and do more film in their own language and tell their story to the world.”
The Silver Yusr went to Cherien Dabis’ Palestinian historical epic All That’s Left Of You. The film is Jordan’s selection for the best international feature Oscar.
The Yusr jury prize was awarded to Shahad Ameen’s adventure drama Hijra, which is Saudi’s Oscar entry.
Yusr best director went to Ameer Fakher Eldin, who was born in Kyiv to Syrian parents, for his second feature Yunan. The film, which premiered in Competition at the Berlinale, also saw the best actor prize go to George Khabbaz for his portrayal of an exiled Arab writer who travels from Hamburg to a North Sea island to die by suicide, only to meet a devoted elderly woman who changes his perspective.
The Yusr best screenplay went to Cyril Aris’ A Sad And Beautiful World, which is Lebanon’s Oscar entry, while the Yusr best actress prize was awarded to South Korea’s Seo Su-Bin from The World Of Love.
The features competition jury was led by Anora filmmaker Sean Baker.
The ceremony also saw the presentation of honorary awards to US filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, actor-filmmaker Idris Elba, actor Sir Anthony Hopkins and Saudi actor-filmmaker Ahd Kamel.
The 5th Red Sea International Film Festival runs from December 4-13.
Red Sea 2025 winners
Features Competition
Golden Yusr ($100,000)
Lost Land, dir. Akio Fujimoto
Silver Yusr ($30,000)
All That’s Left Of You, dir. Cherien Dabis
Yusr Jury Prize ($10,000)
Hijra, dir. Shahad Ameen
Yusr Best Director ($10,000)
Ameer Fakher Eldin – Yunan
Yusr Best Screenplay ($10,000)
A Sad And Beautiful World, dir. Cyril Aris
Yusr Best Actor
George Khabbaz – Yunan
Yusr Best Actress
Seo Su-Bin – The World Of Love
Yusr Cinematic Achievement
Nighttime Sounds, dir. Zhang Zhongchen
Al Sharq Award
Best Documentary In Competition ($10,000)
Juliette Binoche for In-I: In Motion
Film AlUla Best Saudi Film Award
Hijra, dir. Shahad Ameen
Film AlUla Audience Award
My Father’s Scent, dir. Mohamed Siam
Shorts Competition
Golden Yusr ($25,000)
Coyotes, dir. Said Zagha
Silver Yusr ($12,500)
Empty Lands, dir. Karim Eldin Elalfy
Special mention
Jeem 1983, dir. Jorj Abou Mhaya
No comments yet