Heavy snow didn’t stop movie lovers from attending Tehran’s 32nd annual Fajr International Film Festival held during the first 10 days of February. People waited in line for hours in the cold for a chance to discover the latest from top directors and emerging new talent at Iran’s most important film competition.
Prizes were awarded in several different categories across national and international sections. The Crystal Simorgh, Iran’s Oscar equivalent, pays homage to the myth of the phoenix-like creature known as Simorgh in Persian. Narges Abyar, one of two Iranian female directors nominated, won the Crystal Simorgh audience choice award for her film Track 143 based on her book of the same title. The film examines the effects of the devastating Iran-Iraq War from a female perspective and has garnered much critical and international acclaim. Abyar declared that “what mattered the most to [her] was people’s warm reception” at the festival.
The event drew many eminent actors and cineastes from Iran and elsewhere and included a workshop given by Oscar-winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. Iranian president Hassan Rouhani opened the festival heralding the dawn of a “new era” of Iranian cinema and renewed support for art and culture in Iran.
For more info – Fajr International Film Festival website
