The Foundation of the Red Sea Film announces seven laureates for women in the cinema
EXCLUSIVE: The Red Sea International Film Festival announced its seven winners for its annual gala Women in Cinema, which highlights the contributions of filmmakers, creators, actors and leaders of the entertainment industry.
This year’s alignment includes the Zambian-Wash writer-director, Rungano Nyoni; South Asian actress Jacqueline Fernandez; Egyptian actress Amina Khalil; Saudi actress Elham Ali; Thai actress Engfa Waraha; Syrian director Gaya Jiji; And the Saudi filmmaker and artist Sarah Taiba.
Created in 2022, The Women in Cinema Gala is an annual event organized by the Red Sea Film Foundation in Cannes during the Film Festival, at the emblematic of Cap Hotel. As part of the event, a cohort of women who make waves in their career in the Arab world, Asia and Africa are selected each year.
Nyoni is a Zambian-Wash director, screenwriter and actress, who was recognized with her first shorts, including The listwhich won a Bafta Cymru price, and Masks Super, which was nominated in Bafta and selected for more than 100 international films festivals. His feature films, I am not a witch And Become a poultryValu to its many distinctions, including the BAFTA for the exceptional beginnings and the UN Prize at the breeding of the best director in Cannes, as well as the best director of the British Independent Film Awards.
Fernandez is a world actress and interpreter of South Asia. Former Miss Universe Sri Lanka, she went to a film with performance in small groups such as Murder 2 And Hocfic 2commercial success like Race 2And Cut Faced with Salman Khan and successful franchise films House house 3 and Judgaa 2. It has continued to evolve as an artist in projects like Roy,, Dissall,, A gentleman,, Bhoot Police And Netflix Mrs. Serial Killer. More recently, it was seen in RAM SETTU And Circusmore cement of her position as a leading actress in the Indian entertainment industry.
Khalil is an Egyptian actress who has made her way through the silver screen by playing different emblematic roles in films such as 122, the costume,, Sheik Jackson,, Curfew And A nose and three eyes. Since her beginning of her career in 2011, she has spent almost 15 years shaping the landscape of Arab cinema and television and has been a goodwill ambassador of UNFPA, where she pleads for women’s rights, gender equality and awareness of mental health.
Ali is a Saudi actress who made her debut in the theater and moved to television to present the morning program Nut On the Saudi television channel 1. After a move to Bahrain, she returned to the theater and won a prize for the best rising actress. His first actor experience in the Gulf region was the series GroundAnd she continued to play in a popular series Azra And The teachers’ way.
Thai actress Waraha, who was widely acclaimed in 2023 for her main role as Meena in the successful television series Show me lovewho marked his performance in small groups. She continued to play as a kulap Bangkok Blossom and delivered an out -of -competition performance like Hom Jongyoi in Spine paradise. The film was a great success at the box office and earned her the prize for the best actress of the year at the 2025 Thailand Box Office Awards, as well as a post as the best actress in the 14th Thai Film Director Awards. His growing work includes roles Knead Like Tul Chanwimol, as well as appearances Club Friday season 16: Hot love problem And Unlimited loveAnd she should play Lady BeeA next film adapted from the Thai Literary Literary Classic The Story of Jan Dara.
Jiji is a Syrian filmmaker, born in Damascus who made three short films: The haunted houseCreated for a workshop at the University of Paris 8; The father … alsoProduced by the capital of the Arab culture of Damascus which received a special mention from the jury at the Fifak – Tunisia 2009 festival; And Morning, noon, evening … and morningWho won the prize for the best short film by Cinemag, and was selected for many festivals around the world. His first feature film, My favorite fabricwas selected in the United Nations section for the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and received the Women in Motion Young Talent Prize at the 2016 Cannes Festival.
Taiba is a multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She is the designer, the writer and the chief of the famous dark comedy series “” And more recently, he has finished shooting his feature film A question of life and deathin which she plays and wrote. Beyond cinema, Sarah holds a master’s degree in fine arts from the Academy of Art in San Francisco. Her creative practice extends over the film, performance and illustration – mediums through which she translates intimate interior dialogues into powerful visual accounts. His work often focuses on the nuanced representations of Saudi women, told with daring and authenticity.
The third annual Women in Cinema gala takes place at the Cap hotel on May 15, 2025.
