TEHRAN -- The 43rd Fajr Film Festival concluded with a spectacular closing ceremony on Monday in Tehran’s Milad Tower Convention Center, celebrating the best in Iranian cinema.

The event saw the film ‘Call Me Ziba’ directed by Rasoul Sadr Ameli and produced by Maziar Hashemi, winning the prestigious Best Film award.

Ebrahim Hatamikia’s ‘Prophet Moses’ dominated the festival, securing a record five Crystal Simorgh awards. The accolades included Best Supporting Actor, Costume Design, Art Direction, Makeup, and Visual Effects, showcasing the film’s excellence in multiple areas.

Other notable winners included ‘People’s Child’ directed by Mahmoud Karimi, and ‘North from Southwest,’ directed by Hamid Zargarnejad. Both films won three awards each, with ‘People’s Child’ receiving recognition for Best New Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Editing. ‘North from Southwest’ earned awards for Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Cinematography.

Saeed Khani, the producer of ‘Raha’” was honored with the Best First Film Award.

In the short film category, the Honorary Diploma for Literary Adaptation went to Soheila Pourmuhammadi for the film ‘Kuti,’ while the Crystal Simorgh for Best Short Film was awarded to Nadereh Sadat Seraki’s ‘Claimaint.’

In the documentary section, Nima Mahdian’s A Handful of Dust’ won Best Director, and Jafar Sadeghi’s ‘The Apprentice’ was named Best Documentary Film.

‘Dolphin Boy 2’ directed by Mohammad Amin Hamedani and Muhammad Kheirandish was picked as the Best Animation.

Major Awards:

Best Film: ‘Call Me Ziba’ – Produced by Seyyed Maziar Hashemi

Audience Award for Best Film: ‘Dolphin Boy 2’ – Produced by Muhammad-Amin Hamedani, ‘The Devotee’ – Produced by Arash Zeinal-Kheiri

Best Director: Hamid Zargarnejad for ‘North from Southwest’

Special Jury Prize: ‘A Childless Village’ – Directed by Reza Jamali

National Vision Award (Special Prize of Martyr General Soleimani): ‘God of War’ – Produced by Saeed Sadi & Directed by Hussein Darabi, ‘Gaurdian of the Field’ – Produced by Mehdi Faraji & Directed by Seyyed Mouammad-Reza Kheradmandan

Best First Film Director: Mahmoud Karimi for ‘People’s Child’

 

Acting Awards:

Best Actress: Fariba Naderi for ‘Setareh’s Husband’

Best Actor: Mostafa Zamani for ‘North from Southwest’

Honorary Diploma for Best Actor: Navid Pourfaraj for ‘Highway Deer’

Best Supporting Actress: Linda Kiani for ‘1968’

Best Supporting Actor: Farhad Ayeeh for ‘Prophet Moses’

Honorary Diploma for Supporting Actor: Enayat Bakhshi for ‘Juliet and the King’

 

Technical & Artistic Awards:

Best Cinematography: Ali-Muhammad Qassemi for ‘North from Southwest’

Best Editing: Emad Khodabakhsh for ‘People’s Child’

Best Music Score: Karen Homayounfar for ‘Esfand’

Best Sound Design: Meisam Yardilou, Hussein Qourchian for ‘Highway Deer’

Best Production Design: Keivan Moqaddam for ‘Prophet Moses’

Best Costume Design: Azar Muhammadi for ‘Prophet Moses’

Best Makeup: Shahram Khalaj for ‘Prophet Moses’

Best Visual Effects: Amir Valikhani for ‘Sayyad’

Best Special Effects: Hamid Rasoulian for ‘Sayyad’

 

Other Categories:

Best Documentary Film: ‘Trick’ – Produced by Jafar Sadeqi

Best Short Film: ‘Claimant’ – Directed by Nadereh Saadaat Saraki

Best Animated Film: ‘Dolphin Boy 2’– Produced by Muhammad-Amin Hamedani & Directed by Muhammad Kheirandish