TEHRAN — Fish on the Hook, a joint production of Iran and Tajikistan, was among the top winners at the 4th International Film Festival of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States, while Iranian actress Shabnam Ghorbani won the festival’s Best Actress award.
The festival, held from July 16 to 19 in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, concluded with an awards ceremony at the Rukh Ordo Cultural Center, bringing together filmmakers, actors, producers and screenwriters from eight SCO member states.
The international jury awarded the Best Actor prize to the lead performer(s) of Fish on the Hook, a joint Iranian-Tajik production directed by Muhiddin Muzaffar. 
The film was produced by Tajikistan’s state-owned Tojikfilm, DOV Film, and the Iranian companies iFilm and SiKAAP Film, underscoring growing cinematic cooperation between the two countries.
Iranian actress Shabnam Ghorbani received the Best Actress award for her performance in The Gambler, giving Iranian cinema a strong showing at the regional festival.
Other major awards went to Lan Hongchun of China for Best Director for Dear You; Azat Khakimov of Kazakhstan for Best Screenplay for Autumn Breeze; Sergey Astakhov of Russia for Best Cinematography for Angels of Ladoga; Olga Reshetnikova of Belarus for Best Editing for One for Two; and Kasym Muinzoda for Best Music for The Great Amir and Donna Anna.
The festival’s Grand Prix, the Golden Crane statuette, was awarded to Kyrgyz director Aktan Arym Kubat for Kara Kyzyl Sary (Black, Red, Yellow), produced by Kyrgyzfilm.
Beyond its competition program, the four-day festival featured film screenings, industry discussions and professional meetings aimed at strengthening cinematic collaboration among SCO member states.
Fish on the Hook follows Daler, a 10-year-old boy living in a boarding school, who sets out on a journey across Tajikistan with a gambler named Samad in search of his mother. The film explores themes of freedom, human dignity and personal transformation, and has previously received awards at film festivals in Tajikistan and Russia.
The film is regarded as a notable example of expanding cultural cooperation between Iran and Tajikistan, reflecting the two countries’ shared linguistic, historical and cultural ties through joint film production.