Three Iranian films nominated for inaugural Eurasia ‘Diamond Butterfly’ awards in Russia
Iran has nominated three feature films for the first edition of the Eurasia Film Award, known as the “Diamond Butterfly”, according to Masoud Ahmadvand, Cultural Counsellor at the Iranian Embassy in Moscow.
Ahmadvand told IRNA on Thursday that the selected titles are “Call me Ziba” (produced by Maziar Hashemi and directed by Rasoul Sadr Ameli), “In the Arms of the Tree” (produced by Mohammad Reza Mesbah and directed by Babak Khajeh Pasha), and “My Daughter’s Hair” (produced by Saeed Khani and directed by Hessam Farahmand).
The Eurasia Film Award ceremony will take place on November 24, in Moscow, Russia, with winners announced in 12 categories. Established by Russia’s Ministry of Culture in partnership with the Russian Cultural Foundation, the award seeks to celebrate films that highlight human values, cultural heritage, and shared universal meaning rather than focusing on commercial success.
The competition is open to filmmakers worldwide who demonstrate respect for national culture and traditional values. According to the organizing committee, the best film will receive a grand prize of $1 million, while other winning entries will be awarded $250,000 each.
Winners will also receive a butterfly-shaped statuette adorned with 5,000 diamonds. The award ceremony will be held in the presence of Nikita Mikhalkov, founder of the Eurasian Academy of Cinematic Arts.
So far, 31 films from 18 countries, including Russia, Iran, China, India, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Pakistan, Indonesia, and South Africa, have been submitted for consideration.
Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky previously said the Diamond Butterfly prize is designed to be an independent, artistically free alternative to Western awards such as the Oscars, adding that its guiding motto is “Every truth without love is a lie.”