3 weeks ago
EXCLUSIVE: The Red Sea Film Foundation has announced its six honorees for its yearly Women successful Cinema Gala, which spotlights nan contributions of female filmmakers, creators, actors and executives to nan intermezo industry.
This year’s lineup includes Moroccan filmmaker Laïla Marrakchi, Nigerian actress-producer Genevieve Nnaji, Indian actress-singer Tara Sutaria, Rwandan filmmaker Marie-Clementine Dusabejambo, Indonesian filmmaker Kamila Andani and Saudi actress-writer Aixa Kay.
This twelvemonth marks nan first twelvemonth pinch 3 spotlight honorees from nan African continent. All nan women will beryllium honored astatine an yearly arena hosted by nan Red Sea Film Foundation successful Cannes astatine nan Hotel Du Cap.
Marrakchi was born and raised successful Casablanca (Morocco) and near for Paris astatine nan property of 18 to prosecute her studies. Her debut characteristic film, Marock (2005) was showcased successful nan Un Certain Regard conception of nan Cannes Film Festival. Her 2nd feature, Rock nan Casbah (2013), boasted a stellar cast, including Hiam Abbass, Nadine Labaki, Lubna Azabal, Morjana Alaoui and Omar Sharif. Marrakchi has besides directed 2 episodes of Damien Chazelle’s The Eddy (2020) for Netflix and worked connected respective French productions.
Nnaji is simply a Nigerian actress, producer, and 1 of nan starring figures successful African cinema. Widely regarded arsenic a pioneer of Nollywood’s world description , she has built a profession defined by captious acclaim, commercialized success, and taste impact. She made her directorial debut with Lionheart, which became nan first Nigerian movie acquired by Netflix and was selected arsenic Nigeria’s submission to nan Academy Awards. Beyond her activity connected screen, Nnaji is simply a shaper committed to advancing nan quality, reach, and world positioning of African storytelling.
Sutaria’s travel successful nan arts is an amalgamation of music, theatre, and cinema. A classically trained vocalist and ballerina, she has graced prestigious stages crossed India, Bhutan, and Japan, pinch a sound marked by method prowess and affectional depth. This instauration became nan psyche of her on-screen beingness arsenic she roseate to prominence with Student of nan Year 2, followed by an almost decade-long profession successful Indian cinema. Passionate astir female-led stories, Sutaria earned praise for Apurva, while her adjacent film, Toxic, is group for worldwide merchandise successful 2026.
Born successful Rwanda, Dusabejambo’s travel arsenic a filmmaker started successful 2008, erstwhile she joined a group of young filmmakers successful her vicinity successful Almond Tree Films. In 2010, she responded to a call-out for a book title by nan Tribeca Film Institute, which she won. This triumph enabled her to make her first short film, LYIZA, which premiered astatine nan Tribeca Film Festival successful 2011 and won a Bronze Tanit astatine nan Carthage Film Festival successful 2012. Clementine worked arsenic a interrogator for Why We Hate?, a documentary bid by Steven Spielberg and Alex Gibney. Her short films person been presented and awarded astatine respective festivals, including nan Carthage Film Festival, wherever she won nan Tanit de Bronze successful 2012 and 2018 successful Carthage. Her first characteristic film, Ben’Imana, has been officially selected to surface successful Cannes 2026 – Un Certain Regard.
Andani is an independent filmmaker based successful Jakarta, Indonesia, known for her critically acclaimed debut, The Mirror Never Lies. The movie received galore awards some domestically and internationally, including a Best Director information astatine nan 2011 Indonesian Film Festival earlier winning successful nan aforesaid class astatine nan 2012’s Bandung Film Festival. She past went connected to direct The Seen and Unseen, which won nan Feature Fiction Award astatine nan Adelaide Film Festival. Her 2021 film Yuni premiered astatine nan Toronto International Film Festival, wherever it won nan prestigious Platform Prize, followed by Before, Now & Then, which premiered astatine nan Berlin International Film Festival. In 2023, she expanded into tv pinch nan Netflix original series Cigarette Girl.
Kay is a Saudi character and writer, whose movie activity includes: Jasmine Road, a Canadian accumulation directed by Warren Sulatycky, for which she received aggregate Best Actress nominations astatine world festivals; Canadian short film Hatch, for which she earned a Best Actress grant from nan Reelworld Screen Institute; Saify, which premiered astatine nan Red Sea International Film Festival; and Norah, which had its European premiere astatine nan Cannes Film Festival. Kay has held starring and co-starring roles successful bid specified as Almarsaand Shari Al Asha, some of which classed successful nan Top 10 connected Shahid crossed aggregate countries passim their airing. She besides worked arsenic a caput writer connected 2 MBC comedies and is processing nan series Mother Afraa done nan Red Sea Series Labs.
