SCO film festival hands two acting awards to Iranian cinema
Iranian cinema emerged among the standout winners at the fourth Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) International Film Festival after the Iran-Tajikistan co-production 'Fish on the Hook' captured the festival's Best Actor award and Iranian actress Shabnam Ghorbani won Best Actress for her performance in 'The Gambler'.
The awards were presented at the closing ceremony on July 19 at the Ruh Ordo Cultural Center in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, capping the four-day festival held on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul from July 16 to 19. The event brought together filmmakers, actors, producers and screenwriters from eight Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states to showcase films and expand regional cinematic collaboration.
The international jury jointly awarded the Best Actor prize to Khurshid Mustafayev and Abdullo Abdurahimzoda, the lead actors of 'Fish on the Hook'.
Directed by Muhiuddin Muzaffar, the film is a co-production of Tajikfilm, Tajikistan's Dov Film, and Iran's iFilm and SiKAAP Film, underscoring growing cinematic cooperation between Iran and Tajikistan.
Ghorbani received the festival's Best Actress award for her role in the social mystery thriller 'The Gambler'. Unable to attend the ceremony, director Mohsen Bahari accepted the award on her behalf. On stage, Bahari dedicated the Golden Crane award to the memory of the 168 students and teachers killed in Minab. Produced by the Farabi Cinema Foundation, 'The Gambler' has now won awards at international festivals in North Macedonia and Kyrgyzstan.
'Fish on the Hook' follows a 10-year-old boarding school boy who embarks on a cross-country journey through Tajikistan with a gambler in search of his mother, weaving together themes of hope, human dignity and personal transformation. The film has continued to build momentum on the international festival circuit, winning the top prize at Russia's Zabaikalsky International Film Festival earlier this year after claiming the Grand Prize at Tajikistan's National Cinema Awards in 2024.
The festival's Grand Prix, the Golden Crane, went to Kyrgyz director Aktan Arym Kubat for 'Black, Red, Yellow'. Other winners included China's Lan Hongchun for Best Director with 'Dear You', Kazakhstan's Azat Khakimov for Best Screenplay with 'Autumn Breeze', Russia's Sergey Astakhov for Best Cinematography with 'Angels of Ladoga', Belarus' Olga Reshetnikova for Best Editing with 'One for Two', and Kasym Muinzoda for Best Music for 'The Great Amir and Donna Anna'.