Iranian filmmaker wins top prize at Japan’s Nikon contest
Iranian filmmaker Hamed Nobari won the Grand Prize at the Nikon Film and Photo Contest 2024-2025 in Japan for his 40-second environmental short ‘The Small Red, Big Blue’.
The awards ceremony was held on October 12 at Nikon’s headquarters in Tokyo, where Fatemeh Abdi accepted the prize on behalf of the film crew. The contest, launched in 1969, is among the world’s oldest and largest global competitions for short films and photography. This year’s entries came from more than 180 countries and regions, IRNA reported.
Nobari said the theme of this year’s contest was Inspire and that his minimalist single-take film draws attention to “the silent collapse of marine life” caused by pollution. “It’s only 40 seconds long, but it carries the weight of an ocean’s cry,” he told Iranian state media.
‘The Small Red, Big Blue’ has already made a mark on the festival circuit, earning more than 40 international awards and official selections at nearly 300 global events. Its recent accolades include top honors at the 33rd Croatian One-Minute Film Festival (2025), the Jákotpuszta Shepherd’s Day and Nature Film Festival in Budapest (2025), and the Marano Ragazzi Spot Festival in Naples (2024).
The Nikon Grand Prize marks the first time an Iranian filmmaker has captured the top award in the competition’s history — a milestone that highlights the growing global presence of Iran’s short-form cinema and its creative engagement with environmental issues.
Nikon said the winning works will be exhibited in Tokyo and other major cities in the coming months.