Australian actress Sariah Saibu tragically dies
A young Australian actress and model from Western Australia has suddenly died.
Sariah Saibu, who starred in 2021 award-winning short film Beautiful They, passed away on January 30.
A devastated relative broke the news online, saying the performer, from Perth, radiated both 'love and light' and 'may her radiant soul continue to shine.'
'This morning we lost our darling Sariah,' her aunt Cassandra Colvin wrote.
'I am struggling to find the words to express the grief that I and her family are feeling at this time.
Sariah Saibu (pictured), who starred in an award-winning short-film, died on January 30
'RIP beautiful - all our love always.'
Saibu played Violet alongside Australian actor Morgan Davies's character, Blue, in Beautiful They, which was screened at the Tribecca Film Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival.
The clip, directed by Cloudy Rhodes, is a coming-of-age LGBTQI surf-romance that explores the nuances of gender.
In 2021, the work won Australian Director's Guild's Best Direction of a Short Film and was nominated for the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts's (AACTA) Best Short Form Drama.
The following year, the film was awarded Queer Screen Mardi Gras's 2022 winner for Best Film and City Of Melbourne's Best Australian Short Film.
Saibu also did modelling work and featured as a backup dancer for music videos, including San Cisco's 2017 hit SloMo and Catlips' Silver Smoke, released in 2015.
Friends have flocked online to pay tribute to the 'kind' and 'bubbly', who built a community of friends in both Perth and Darwin.
Saibu played Violet in Beautiful They, a youth romance film that premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival in 2021
The film, directed by Cloudy Rhodes, won several awards shortly after it was released
'Sariah is the Queen, the Karaoke King, the Star, and the Icon,' friend Blue Bradshaw wrote on GoFundMe.
'The Princess of not only Perth, but Darwin. The protagonist of our lives and gem of our hearts.'
'Sariah made everlasting impressions on her community, which has been felt and greatly appreciated by her family and closest friends.'
Another friend described Saibu as a 'bubbly, beautiful soul' with an 'amazing sense of humour.'
'She always had time for a chat and poured her whole heart into he friends and her passions,' they said.
'Rest in power Sariah, we won't forget you.'
The fundraiser, which will help her family cover the costs of memorials in both cities, has raised $4896 since it was launched on Wednesday.
Saibu will be farewelled at a service at Kidogo Art House Fremantle on 15 February and at a ceremony held at Garramilla, in Darwin, in March.
Sariah has been remembered as a 'bubbly person' and a 'beautiful soul'
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pa3IpbCmmZmhe6S7ja6iaKaVrMBwrdGtoJyklWJ%2BcoORcm1qb1%2BIrrO1wKFkjJmZl8JuwNGanqKbkaG5unnDopysZpipuq0%3D