Seven movies win Fajr Film Festival’s audience votes
Seven Iranian films, competing in the Fajr Film Festival, won audience votes on Thursday, the seventh day of the prestigious cinematic event.
The results of the voting for films screened at the festival on February 6 were announced by the selection committee for the audience’s favorite film.
The 43rd Fajr Film Festival features the films ‘The People’s Child,’ directed by Mahmoud Karimi; ‘Prophet Moses,’ directed by Ebrahim Hatamikia, ‘Peshmerga’ by Ali Ghaffari, ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ directed by Muhammad Reza Kheradmandan, ‘Free,’ directed by Hesam Farahmand, ‘Call Me Ziba,’ directed by Rasoul Sadr-Ameli, and ‘God of War,’ directed by Hossein Darabi.
These seven films are among the 32 entries in the competition that captured the audience’s attention. The list of films is presented without priority.
The 43rd Fajr Film Festival, directed by Manocher Shahsavari, will continue until February 11. This edition of the festival, featuring a competition of 33 feature films and four animated films, is considered one of the busiest in the event’s history.
The jury for the Iranian film competition this year includes Kamal Tabrizi (director), Reza Dorostkar (critic), Alireza Raeisian (director), Alireza Zarrindast (cinematographer), Ezzatollah Zarghami (cultural manager), and Mastaneh Mohajer (editor and producer).
In this context, the Vice President for Women and Family Affairs stated, “In this year’s festival, there is only one female filmmaker participating, and this certainly raises a red flag. We need to examine and understand what has led to their limited presence in this edition of the festival.”
Zahra Behrooz-Azar, during her visit to the Milad Tower Media House for the festival, watched ‘Prophet Moses’.
Addressing reporters about the significance of this cinematic event, she said, “One of the most crucial roles of the festival is to create a bridge for artists. The role of an artist is to identify issues within society and represent them, raising awareness and, in many cases, proposing solutions. We need to ensure that we listen to and embrace the voices of experts in addressing these issues. The Fajr Film Festival provides such a platform.”
“This year, we are participating in the ‘Manifestation of National Will’ award and will present a special award for ‘Women and Family.’ However, our work will not be confined to the duration of the Fajr Film Festival. We have prepared a special award in collaboration with the Art Deputy of the Ministry of Culture, focused on films related to family and women. Special judges will be appointed for this discussion, and all selected films will be evaluated according to specific protocols. We have also begun a joint collaboration with the Iranian Youth Cinema Society (IYCS) to work on empowering women in various artistic fields, as well as in selecting subjects and issues, aiming to start from the grassroots level,” Behrooz-Azar added.
The vice president emphasized the importance of creating a conducive environment for female artists, stating, “Safety, respect, and attention to the dignity of women are crucial aspects that will allow us to continue witnessing the vibrant participation of women in the arts, as we have in the past.”