Iranian Films Win Two Top Prizes at Kazan International Film Festival
Iranian cinema scored major victories at the 22nd Kazan Film Festival in Russia, with a documentary and feature film taking home the festival's main awards.
Iranian films triumphed at the 22nd Kazan International Film Festival in Tatarstan, Russia, winning the two main awards at the closing ceremony held this week.
Documentary Award
The documentary Valat, directed by Zahra Bagheri and produced by the Documentary House (Khaneh-ye Mostanad), won Best Documentary. The film tells the story of Sayfur, a 94-year-old man who returns after 50 years to his submerged homeland—a village that disappeared under water following dam construction. While his family considers the journey futile, Sayfur sets out alone on a trip that powerfully depicts the unbreakable bond between humans, land and identity. International distribution is handled by Orimond Media.
Feature Film Success
In the feature film category, Land of Angels (Sarzamin-e Fereshteh-ha), written and directed by Babak Khaajehpasha and produced by Manouchehr Mohammadi, won Best Film along with awards for cinematography and Best Actress. A co-production between Tasvir Shahr Institute and Sooreh Film Organisation, the film uses Arab actors to present a human narrative of war and crisis in Gaza. It was previously honoured at the 44th Fajr Film Festival, where it won five Crystal Simorghs and eight diplomas of honour, making it the most decorated film of that edition. International distribution is managed by Sooreh International Centre.
Festival Background
The 22nd Golden Minbar Kazan Film Festival took place from 4 to 8 September in Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. Since 2005, it has been one of Russia's most established film events, focusing on humanitarian, cultural, social and spiritual themes. The jury for this year's festival was chaired by Majid Majidi, the acclaimed Iranian director.
Iranian cinema had a strong presence beyond the two winning works, with several films in various sections including the short film Very Very Far and Very Close by Ahmad Heydaryan, the animation Chavok by Hojir Asadi, films Raha by Hesam Farahmand and Fish on the Hook by Mohyeddin Mozaffar (an Iran-Tajikistan co-production), and Majidi's Muhammad: The Messenger of God in the special section for top films about Islam.
