At the Red Sea Film Festival, the Pakistani-Canadian horror film "In Flames" takes home the top prize.
Zarrar Kahn's horror film "In Flames," which is a Canadian-Pakistani production, took home the Golden Yusr for Best Feature Film at the Red Sea Film Festival, which took place in Jeddah from November 30 to December 9. The 72nd International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg also gave the film the International Newcomer Award. It was the second Pakistani film in forty-three years to be chosen for Directors' Fortnight, an occasion held in conjunction with the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. The film has screened at festivals in Sao Paulo, Pingyao, Toronto, Busan, and Sitges. The struggle of a mother and her daughter after the loss of the family patriarch is at the heart of this psychological thriller film. The independent film had a budget of only $300,000.
According to Arab News "In Flames," Pakistan's entry for the international feature Oscar category, has taken home the Golden Yusr for Best Feature Film at the Red Sea Film Festival, which is in its third year and runs from November 30 to December 9 in Jeddah.
Attractions such as Will Smith, Johnny Depp, Chris Hemsworth, and Sharon Stone were in attendance. On Thursday night, the event revealed the recipients of various prizes, including the Yusr awards, which are the winners of its Red Sea competition accolades.
Pakistan:Zarrar Kahn, a Canadian writer and director, claimed that the budget for his independent film was "just $300,000—the size of a Red Sea Fund production grant."
"This was made for nothing, so everyone who gets a grant should go make a movie," he declared.
In Flames took home the 72nd International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg's International Newcomer Award last month. This May, the horror-drama made history by being the second Pakistani film to be selected for Directors' Fortnight, an event that takes place in tandem with the esteemed Cannes Film Festival, in forty-three years. The movie was independently released in October and ran for 12 days at the Atrium Cinemas in Karachi, Pakistan's southern city. It was eventually extended till November 9. Additionally, the movie has been screened in festivals in Pingyao, Toronto, Busan, Sitges, and Sao Paulo.
Actor Bakhtawar Mazhar characterized In Flames as a psychological thriller that centers on the struggle of a mother (Mazhar) and her daughter (Ramesha Nawal) following the death of the family patriarch in an interview with Arab News earlier this month. Anam Abbas is the producer of the movie.
"Women all over the world were crying [after seeing the film] and saying, 'We know the struggle this character went through, we know the struggle of Fariha and Mariam.
"In Flames" is Pakistan's official entry for the 96th Academy Awards, which will take place in the Foreign Language Film category the following year.
