The Red Sea Souk has announced the winners of its Project Market during today’s Souk Awards Ceremony, spotlighting standout projects from a curated selection of 31 feature films and 7 series. These remarkable projects, helmed by visionary directors from the Arab world, Africa, and Asia, were recognized with an impressive array of cash prizes and in-kind support.

Highlighting the evening, the Red Sea Fund backed nine awards—two for works-in-progress and seven for projects in development—reinforcing its dedication to nurturing cinematic brilliance and championing the next generation of storytellers.

PROJECTS IN DEVELOPMENT JURY

• Producers Elisa Fernanda Pirir (STÆR) - CALLS FROM MOSCOW; THE HYPNOSIS; EVERYBODY LOVES TOUDA (2024); THE NIGHTS STILL SMELL OF GUNPOWDER (2024)
• Georges Schoucair (Abbout Productions) - FÉLICITÉ (2017), WAJIB (2017), RAFIKI (2018), BEAUTY & THE DOGS (2018), IT MUST BE HEAVEN (2019), A SON (2019)
• Louise Bellicaud (In Vivo Films) - ABOU LEILA (2019), DOS ESTACIONES (2022), UN VARON (2022), LEVANTE (2023), HORIZONTE (2024)

 

WORKS IN PROGRESS JURY

• Filmmaker/ Cinematographer Martika Ramirez Escobar from the Philippines. Escobar’s first feature film LEONOR WILL NEVER DIE had its world premiere at Sundance and won the Special Jury Award for Innovative Spirit.
• Christophe Leparc, Managing Director of Quinzaine des Cinéastes and Head of Cinemed, Mediterranean Film Festival
• Fyzal Boulifa, Director/ Screenwriter, UK/Morocco.LYNN + LUCY (2020); THE DAMNED DON'T CRY (2023). He has recently co-written Mahdi Fleifel's TO A LAND UNKNOWN (2024).

 

SERIESLAB JURY

• Diego Ramírez Schrempp - Executive producer on FALCO, winner of an International Emmy award in 2019. Co-creator and showrunner on GREEN FRONTIER one of Colombia’s first original series for Netflix. Production supervisor on NARCOS and co-creator and showrunner on LA CABEZA DE JOAQUÍN MURRIETA Executive producer on ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE for Netflix.

 

• Jennifer Chen - head of Channel Zero Studios. Previously, Jennifer served as VP of Programming for Channel Zero’s suite of Canadian broadcasting networks. Her production credits include THE PUZZLE LADY, BOOT CAMP, WYNONNA EARP (Season 1), and THE PINKERTONS.

 

• Nadia Tabbara - Screenwriter and creativity coach who has produced more than four regional TV series and her show AWAKE is the only Lebanese TV series that has ever been broadcast across all continents, most recently picked up by ARTE. She wrote and directed a fictionalized short film in the Internationally Emmy nominated series BEIRUT: 607

 

24 projects in development by filmmakers from Africa, Arab World or Asia were presented to an industry audience during the Souk including the 12 projects selected for this year’s Red Sea Lodge program, which have been developed through intensive workshops in partnership with the Torino Film Lab.

 

Shivani Pandya Malhotra, Managing Director of the Red Sea Film Foundation, said: "This year’s Red Sea Souk winners reflect the incredible talent and creativity emerging from Saudi Arabia, Arab world, Africa, and Asia. These regions hold immense storytelling power, and through initiatives like the Souk, we’re proud to support these voices, offering them a platform to flourish. Congratulations to all the winners—your success is a testament to the vibrant future of cinema in these underserved regions."

 

Director of the Red Sea Souk Holly Daniel, said: “This edition of the Souk Project market had a record number of meeting requests for the projects in selection which reflects the high calibre and potential of the teams taking part. We thank all our award partners for their support of the Souk and the amazing projects that they continue to champion.”

 

List of winners:

 

Arab Cinema Center (ACC)

2 supported places on the International Film Festival Rotterdam Producers Lab

Awarded by ACC

Saudi Winner: DO RE MIMI

Producer: Jawaher Alamri

 

Arab Winner: IT'S OKAY, I'M ONLY HUMAN

Producer: Christelle Younes

 

 

Filmmore

One in-kind award for a Works-in-Progress film consisting of a full digital intermediate worth $32,500

Awarded by Filmmore

Winner: FUXI

Director: Qiu JiongJiong

 

Freshly Ground Stories

Two In-Kind Awards of Professional Business and Legal Support for a Project, up to 12 months in any Stage of the Production Cycle, each worth $5,000.

Awarded by Freshly Ground Stories

Winner: HOLY COW

Director: Asmae El Moudir

 

Winner:

ASSA, A FISH IN A BOWL

Director: Dahlia Nemlich

 

Impronta Films

One in-kind award for a documentary project of consultancy sessions over 12-months, worth $10,000.

Awarded by Impronta Films

Winner: FAROUK

Director: Halkawt Mustafa

 

Oticons

One in-kind Award for a Work-in-Progress film consisting of in-kind Music Consulting services worth $10,000

Awarded by Oticons

Winner: FUXI

Director: Qiu JiongJiong

 

Shift Studios

Shift Studios awards for a promotion package worth $12,000

2 Awards

Awarded by Shift Studios

Winner: I Didn’t Sign Up for This.

Director: Lana Komsany.

 

Winner: DO-RE-MIMI

Director: Fatima Albanawi

 

Shift Studios award consisting of a full DCP package worth $8,000

Winner: Blue Card

Director: Mohamed Al'Omda

 

TITRAFILM

In-kind award for a Work-in-Progress film worth $10,000

Awarded by TITRAFILM

Winner: ALLAH IS NOT OBLIGED

Directed by Zaven Najjar

 

 

Arab Radio and Television Network (ART) 

$50,000 ART grant for one Saudi Project in development or production

Awarded by ART

Winner: I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THIS

Director: Lana Komsany

 

 

 

$50,000 ART Award for one Arab Project in development or production

Awarded by ART

Winner: HOLY COW

Director: Asmae El Moudir

 

MAD Solutions

$50,000 to a project in development, in production or in post production.

Awarded by MAD

Winner: DO RE MIMI

Director:  Fatima Albanawi

 

MBC Academy/Shahid 

$40,000 MBC Academy /Shahid Award for a Saudi project in development

Awarded by MBC

Winner: Hadd

Director: Jamal Kutbi

 

 

Two $20,000 MBC Academy /Shahid Awards for a project in development or production or post-production

Awarded by MBC

Winner: Close rose close

Director: Rulan Hasan

 

Winner: Blue Card

Director: Mohamed Al'Omda

 

Ambient Light

As Ambient Light - one cash award of $10,000 for a Project in Development

Winner: It’s okay, I’m only Human
Directed by Karim Ghorayeb and George Barbari

As A2J - one in-kind award with a value of $10,000 for post-production services to a Works-in-Progress project

Awarded by Ambient Light

Winner: A winner is seen at the start

Directed by Zhannat AlShanova.

 

Rotana Studios

One cash and three in-kind awards consisting of:

$50,000 cash award for an Arab film

Awarded by Rotana Studios

Winner: CLOSE ROSE CLOSE

Director: Rulan Hasan

 

 

Two in-kind awards valued at $50,000 each in the form of distribution fees waiver for two Arab projects to be distributed by Rotana Studios

Awarded by Rotana Studios

Winner: BLUE CARD

Director: Mohamed Al'Omda

 

Winner: CLOSE ROSE CLOSE

Director: Rulan Hasan

 

 

One in-kind award valued at $25,000 in the form of free inclusion in content development lab Rotana-Sard for 6 months for a Saudi project

Awarded by Rotana Studios

Winner: DO RE MIMI

Director:  Fatima Albanawi

 

Best Media Production

Best Media Production Award for one project in development or production with an amount of $10,000

Awarded by Best Media Production

Winner: IT'S OKAY, I'M ONLY HUMAN

Directors: Karim Ghorayeb, George Peter Barbari

 

CNC

CNC Award for one project with an amount of €8,000 ($8,500 equivalent)

Awarded by the Red Sea Souk Projects in Development Jury

Winner: HOLY COW

Director: Asmae El Moudir

 

Ithra

50,000 SAR ($13,333) Ithra award for one Saudi project in production or post-production

Awarded by Ithra

Winner: HADD

Director: Jamal Kutbi

 

Red Sea Souk Works in Progress Awards:

Red Sea Souk Post-Production Jury Special Mention Award with a grant of $15,000

Awarded by Red Sea Souk WIP Jury

Winner: FUXI

Director: Qiu JiongJiong

 

 

Red Sea Souk Post-Production Award with a grant of $40,000

Awarded by Red Sea Souk WIP Jury

Winner: GURIA

Director: Levan Koguashvili

 

Red Sea Labs Awards:

 

Two $5,000 Red Sea Labs SeriesLab Awards

Awarded by Red Sea Souk SeriesLab Jury

First winner: COLD CASE ONE ($5,000) written by Nithin Lukose and Hari Kirishnan

Second winner: GENERATION A ($5,000) written by Mona Ombogo

 

One $10,000 Red Sea Labs SeriesLab Award

Awarded by Red Sea Souk SeriesLab Jury

Winner: SARIA OTHMAN NEEDS NO MAN ($10,000) written by Estephan Khattar

 

 

$20,000 Red Sea Labs Jury Special Mention Award for a Red Sea Lodge project

Awarded by Red Sea Souk Projects in Development Jury

Winner: CLOSE ROSE CLOSE

Director: Rulan Hasan

 

$40,000 Red Sea Labs Production Award for a Red Sea Lodge project

Awarded by Red Sea Souk Projects in Development Jury

Winner: THE SILENT ONES

Director: Jawahine Zentar

 

$50,000 Red Sea Labs Production Award for a Red Sea Lodge project

Awarded by Red Sea Souk Projects in Development Jury

Winner: PEPO KALI

Director: Lydia Matata

 

 

$70,000 Red Sea Labs Production Award for a Red Sea Lodge project

Awarded by Red Sea Souk Projects in Development Jury

Winner: BLUE CARD

Director: Mahamed Al’Omda

 

 

Red Sea Souk Projects in Development Awards:

$20,000 Red Sea Souk Jury Special Mention Award

Awarded by Red Sea Souk Projects in Development Jury

Winner: TAHMINA

Director: Aboozar Amini

 

$30,000 Red Sea Souk Development Award

Awarded by Red Sea Souk Projects in Development Jury

Winner: WATCH IT BURN

Director: Makbul Mubarak

 

$75,000 Red Sea Souk Production Award

Awarded by Red Sea Souk Projects in Development Jury

Winner: ROBBING BEIRUT

Director: Katia Jarjoura