Rohingya film ‘Lost Land’ triumphs at Red Sea Film Festival

"Lost Land", the first-ever feature film made entirely in the Rohingya language, has seized the Golden Yusr for Best Film at this year's Red Sea Film Festival—an emphatic win for a community whose stories rarely make it to global screens.

The film, directed by Japanese filmmaker Akio Fujimoto, follows two young siblings forced to flee anti-Rohingya violence in Myanmar. Its stark premise unfolds through the eyes of nine-year-old Somira and her younger brother Shafi as they attempt to reach Malaysia with nothing more than whispered directions and a shared determination to survive. Their journey, shaped by smugglers, fear and exploitation, forms the emotional backbone of the film.

"Lost Land" premiered earlier this year in the Orizzonti section of the Venice Film Festival and features an entirely non-professional cast. It was produced by Kazutaka Watanabe, Angèle de Lorme, Sujauddin Karimuddin, Elise Shick and Christian Jilka—an international team whose collaboration underscores the borderless urgency of the Rohingya crisis.

Fujimoto accepted the top honour in person, receiving the Golden Yusr from filmmaker Sean Baker of "Anora" fame, who chaired this year's Red Sea Competition jury. He was joined by celebrated jurors Nadine Labaki, Olga Kurylenko and Naomie Harris.

Before the festival's awards were announced, the evening opened with honorary recognitions for Idris Elba, Darren Aronofsky and Anthony Hopkins, all of whom engaged in public Q&A sessions during their time in Saudi Arabia. The Red Sea Film Festival concludes on December 13.

"Lost Land" may have taken home the festival's highest honour, but its deeper victory lies in placing Rohingya-language storytelling at the centre of an international stage—a rare, resonant moment for a people long pushed to the margins.

Below is the full list of this year's award winners:

Golden Yusr – Best Feature Film

• "Lost Land" (Akio Fujimoto)

Silver Yusr – Feature Film

• "All That's Left Off You" (Cherien Dabis)

Yusr Jury Prize

• "Hijra" (Shahad Ameen)

Yusr Best Director

• Ameer Fakher Eldin (Yunan)

Yusr Best Screenplay

• Cyril Aris & Bane Fakih (A Sad And Beautiful World)

Yusr Best Actor

• George Khabbaz (Yunan)

Yusr Best Actress

• Seo Su-Bin (The World Of Love)

Asharq Best Documentary

• In-I In Motion, (Juliette Binoche)

AlUla Audience Award – Saudi Film

• Hijra (Shahad Ameen)

AlUla Audience Award – Best Non-Saudi Film

• My Father's Scent (Mohamed Siam)

Golden Yusr – Best Short Film

• Coyotes (Said Zagha)

Yusr Cinematic Achievement

• Nighttime Sounds (Zhang Zhongchen)