Sean Baker (Anora...) to preside Red Sea Fest Jury

The Red Sea International Film Festival (Red Sea IFF) is welcoming Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Sean Baker (Anora, The Florida Project) as the President of its Features Jury for its fifth edition, running 4-13 December.

Sean Baker is an Academy Award-winning filmmaker and trailblazer in independent filmmaking. His latest film Anora (2024) won five Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Actress for Mikey Madison. Baker is also known for his breakout film Tangerine (2015), shot entirely on an iPhone 5S and a milestone in indie film. Baker's sixth major feature, The Florida Project (2017), earned actor Willem Dafoe a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Oscars, Golden Globes, and BAFTA Award. His earlier projects, including Take Out, Prince of Broadway, and Starlet established the foundation for his distinctive style, noteworthy casting, and received both critical and festival acclaim. Baker is a dedicated advocate for independent filmmaking, consistently reshaping storytelling with genuine and daring narratives, and passionate about preserving Art House Cinemas in the U.S. and beyond. 

The Red Sea: Features competition honours all cinematic forms, from narrative to animation and documentary, featuring films from Asia and Africa, including the Arab world. 16 features will vie for the coveted Yusr Awards, with the winners being selected by Baker and the highly esteemed Jury. For 2024, the Golden Yusr for Best Feature Film was awarded to Red Path, directed by Lotfi Achour.

Faisal Baltyuor, CEO of the Red Sea Film Foundation, said: “Sean Baker is a trailblazing director whose dedication to championing authentic and meaningful storytelling through film is truly inspiring. He has continually pushed the boundaries of cinema with authentic storytelling and an unmistakable artistic vision, and we deeply admire his commitment to independent filmmaking. We are very proud to be bringing him on board to lead our features jury this year, fresh off his record-breaking success at the 2025 Academy Awards for our very special 5th edition.”

Sean Baker added: “It’s an honour to serve as Jury President for the Red Sea International Film Festival this year, taking the baton from Spike Lee. I’ve long admired how the festival champions bold, diverse voices from across the globe, and this year’s Feature Competition showcases some of the most daring and exciting new voices from the Arab world, Africa and Asia. Festivals like Red Sea IFF give independent films a vital platform and connect them with a global audience, I’m thrilled to be part of that celebration of cinema and look forward to engaging with the incredible titles in the competition line-up.”