The Red Sea International Film Festival hosted a landmark moment for the Arab world: the presentation of the Golden Globes Omar Sharif Award to Hend Sabry and the Golden Globes Horizon Award to Alia Bhatt. These two distinctions, presented by the Golden Globes® in partnership with the Saudi festival, reflect the global film industry’s growing openness to voices from the Arab world, Africa, and Asia, and confirm the central place these talents now occupy in contemporary cinema.
Held in Jeddah during the fifth edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival, the ceremony brought together representatives of the Golden Globes, festival organizers, and international guests. At the heart of the evening were two actresses whose distinct yet complementary journeys embody the power of storytelling rooted in local culture while resonating worldwide: Tunisian star Hend Sabry and Indian actress Alia Bhatt.
A Strategic Partnership Between the Golden Globes and the Red Sea IFF
By creating the Golden Globes Omar Sharif Award and the Golden Globes Horizon Award, the Golden Globes reaffirm their ambition to celebrate talent beyond Hollywood—highlighting filmmakers, actors, and creators from the Middle East, Asia, and North Africa. The decision to present these honors at the Red Sea International Film Festival is no coincidence: in just a few years, the festival has become one of the most vital spaces for shaping and showcasing the future of Arab and regional cinema.
Golden Globes President Helen Hoehne summarized the spirit of this collaboration while paying tribute to both honorees. Speaking of Hend Sabry, she said, “We are honored to present the Golden Globes Omar Sharif Award to Hend Sabry, a truly iconic performer and humanitarian whose body of work reflects the depth, power, and global impact of Arab cinema, while paying tribute to Omar’s remarkable legacy as a pioneering Egyptian artist.”
She also praised Alia Bhatt, emphasizing “her exceptional contributions to international cinema” and linking this recognition to “the continued rise of the Middle East as a dynamic and influential hub for film and television on a global stage.”
For her part, Jomana Al-Rashid, Chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation, highlighted the importance of this partnership for the festival. As the Foundation celebrates its fifth anniversary, she underlined its mission to “further cement the Red Sea IFF’s position as a platform for global recognition.” This first collaboration with the Golden Globes, she said, strengthens the international visibility of “the remarkable talent emerging from the Arab world, Asia, and Africa,” reflecting a shared commitment to ensuring that these filmmakers achieve both “recognition and reach.” The launch of the Golden Globes Horizon Award, designed to celebrate emerging creative voices, is part of this same vision.
The Golden Globes Omar Sharif Award: Heritage and Legacy
The Golden Globes Omar Sharif Award bears the name of one of the most legendary figures in Arab cinema. The first Egyptian-born actor to win a Golden Globe, Omar Sharif became a global icon through his unforgettable performances in Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and Doctor Zhivago (1965), earning three Golden Globes over the course of a career that left an indelible mark on film history.
This award honors that legacy while extending it into the present. It recognizes artists whose work has had a profound impact on cinema within the region and beyond. By awarding it this year to Hend Sabry, the Golden Globes draw a clear line of continuity: on one side, an actor who opened the path for Arab representation on the international stage; on the other, an actress who, through her artistic choices and social engagement, embodies a new and resonant way of portraying the Arab world.
The fact that the Golden Globes Omar Sharif Award was previously given to Yousra and Hussein Fahmy, and is now awarded to Hend Sabry, illustrates how the Golden Globes are writing, year after year, a new chapter where Arab cinema is recognized as an essential creative partner, not a peripheral curiosity.
Hend Sabry: A Tunisian Star of Arab and International Cinema
Hend Sabry needs no introduction to Tunisian audiences or to cinephiles across the region. Since her debut, she has established herself as one of the most powerful and respected voices in Arab cinema. Discovered by Moufida Tlatli in The Silences of the Palace (1994), she won her first Best Actress award for that role—marking the beginning of a career filled with acclaim and major performances.
Her most notable films include A Citizen & a Detective & a Thief (2001), Clay Dolls (2002), Malek wa Ketaba (2006), The Yacoubian Building (2006), El-Gezirah (2007), Asmaa (2011), Noura’s Dream (2019), and Four Daughters (2023) by Kaouther Ben Hania, a hybrid and deeply personal film nominated for the 2024 Academy Award for Best Documentary. Each of these performances reveals her commitment to portraying complex, multidimensional women—strong, fragile, and deeply human—caught within social and political systems larger than themselves.
Her work has earned her multiple Best Actress awards at leading Arab film festivals. She also received the Faten Hamama Award for Excellence at the Cairo International Film Festival, recognizing her contribution to contemporary Arab cinema. In 2019, Hend Sabry made history at the Venice Film Festival by becoming the first Arab woman to serve on a jury, that of the Luigi De Laurentiis Award for Best First Feature—an achievement celebrated as a milestone for Arab cinema.
Her influence, however, extends far beyond film. In 2004, the BBC named her among the world’s 100 most influential women, acknowledging her cultural impact and leadership across the Arab world. Since then, she has consistently ranked among the most prominent cultural figures in the region.
Beyond her acting career, Hend Sabry is known for her social and humanitarian engagement. As a Regional Ambassador for the United Nations World Food Programme, she uses her platform to draw attention to issues of hunger, justice, and human dignity. This makes the Golden Globes Omar Sharif Award particularly meaningful—it celebrates not only her artistic excellence but also her moral and civic commitment.
During the ceremony, Hend Sabry reflected on the link between her artistic journey and Omar Sharif’s enduring legacy. “I am deeply honored to receive an award named after one of the true legends of cinema from this part of the world,” she said. “My career has been devoted to telling women’s stories—exploring their complexities, strengths, and silences.” She also expressed her joy at sharing this recognition with Alia Bhatt, “a brilliant and inspiring artist,” calling it “an important moment for women in our industry” and a privilege “to be part of the Golden Globes’ enduring history.”
Alia Bhatt, the Horizon Award and the New Generation of Indian Cinema
The Golden Globes Horizon Award celebrates Alia Bhatt, an actress and producer who has, in just a few years, become one of the most influential figures in Indian and global cinema. From mainstream blockbusters to daring, socially engaged films, she has built a career defined by range and conviction.
Her most significant works include Highway (2014), Kapoor & Sons (2016), Udta Punjab (2016), Dear Zindagi (2016), Raazi (2018), Gully Boy (2019), Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022)—the role that catapulted her to international stardom—and Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani (Rocky and Rani’s Love Story, 2023). In Gangubai Kathiawadi, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, she portrays a woman from the streets of Bombay who becomes a powerful symbol of female empowerment—a performance hailed by critics and audiences alike worldwide.
Winner of several Filmfare Awards and named by Time magazine among the 100 Most Influential People, Alia Bhatt represents a generation of artists who use their fame to question, provoke, and expand the limits of storytelling in Indian cinema. The Horizon Award, which honors “an emerging creative force whose rapid ascent is making a significant impact on regional and international culture,” finds in her a perfect embodiment.
In her acceptance speech, Alia Bhatt reflected on the honor: being recognized by the Golden Globes, she said, is not only a distinction but also a responsibility—“to speak for a new generation of women who are making a difference in film and television around the world.” At a time when “global voices are coming together to tell more inclusive and impactful stories,” this recognition, she said, “feels especially meaningful.” She concluded by reaffirming her commitment to continue telling “stories of powerful and deserving women.”
Jeddah, Al-Balad, and the Role of the Red Sea International Film Festival
Choosing Jeddah and the Red Sea International Film Festival as the setting for these awards reflects a broader cultural strategy. Held in the historic district of Al-Balad—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—the festival brings together world cinema with the vibrant film industries of the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. For ten days, screenings, retrospectives, masterclasses, and professional meetings transform the old city into a living celebration of the seventh art.
By partnering with the Golden Globes, the festival reinforces its international dimension. These awards are more than trophies—they send a message to an entire generation of regional filmmakers and actors: their stories matter, their voices are being heard, and their work can reach a global audience.
The Golden Globes: Between Hollywood and the Rest of the World
This evening in Jeddah fits seamlessly into the calendar of a long-established institution. The 83rd Golden Globes, the first major awards ceremony of the season, will be hosted by comedian and actress Nikki Glaser, a Golden Globe, GRAMMY, and Emmy nominee. The ceremony will take place on January 11, 2026, airing on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ in the United States, and broadcast in over 185 countries and territories worldwide.
Since 1944, the Golden Globes have honored excellence in film and television—and more recently, in podcasting—while maintaining a philanthropic mission. More than 55 million dollars have been donated to scholarships, film restoration projects, and humanitarian causes.
This global expansion, symbolized by the partnership with the Red Sea Festival, mirrors the transformation of the Golden Globes’ own voting body, now composed of 399 international voters from multiple countries around the world. It’s a decisive step toward greater diversity and inclusion, ensuring that the perspectives shaping the awards reflect the richness of global cinema.
That the Golden Globes chose to cross continents this year—to present the Omar Sharif Award to Hend Sabry and the Horizon Award to Alia Bhatt—is far from anecdotal. It signals a recognition that the stories that matter, the faces that inspire, and the women who lead the way are no longer found only in Hollywood, but also in Tunis, Cairo, Mumbai, Jeddah, and across a constellation of cities where cinema is being reinvented.
Neïla Driss
