Celebrating Success at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival

At the prestigious 2025 Berlin International Film Festival, three films supported by the Red Sea Film Foundation—Têtes Brûlées, The Heart is a Muscle, and Yalla Parkour—were honored with awards, highlighting the Foundation’s pivotal role in nurturing impactful storytelling on a global scale.

A Journey of Discovery in The Heart Is a Muscle

The Heart Is a Muscle received the Ecumenical Jury Prize in the Panorama section. This poignant film follows Ryan, a father whose five-year-old son goes missing during a barbecue. His profound reaction to this incident unravels a series of events that reveal long-hidden secrets and set him on a transformative journey of self-discovery.

Returning to Roots in Yalla Parkour

Yalla Parkour clinched the Panorama Documentary Audience Award (Second Prize). Directed by Areeb Zuaiter in her debut feature, this documentary chronicles her return to Gaza—a place she first visited as a child with her Palestinian mother. Following her mother’s passing, a deep yearning for her homeland emerges when she stumbles upon a video of young men in Gaza practicing parkour amidst the chaos of explosions.

Facing Grief in Têtes Brûlées

Têtes Brûlées received a Special Mention for Best Film in the youth-focused Generation 14plus category. The narrative centers on 12-year-old Eya, who grapples with the sudden loss of her older brother, Younès. With resilience and the support of Younès’ friends, she embarks on an emotional journey to navigate her grief.

Future Endeavors: The Sun Sees Everything

In addition to these remarkable achievements, The Sun Sees Everything, a film currently in development by Wissam Tanios and produced by Christian Eid, was awarded the World Cinema Fund Audience Strategies Award at the Berlinale Co-Production Market.

Shivani Pandya Malhotra, Managing Director of the Red Sea Film Foundation, expressed her enthusiasm: “Congratulations to these incredible filmmakers whose unique perspectives have been recognized on the prestigious stage of the Berlin International Film Festival. Their success highlights the universal power of great storytelling and reinforces our commitment to nurturing independent cinema across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. At the Red Sea Film Foundation, we take pride in empowering filmmakers and look forward to continuing our mission of bringing diverse, compelling stories to new audiences worldwide.”