TEHRAN – Globally-renowned Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi received an award for outstanding contribution to cinema at the first Diamond Butterfly Open Eurasian Film Award in Moscow, Russia, on November 27.

The ceremony of the event was held on Thursday evening at the Nikita Mikhalkov Workshop 12 Theater in Moscow with the attendance of Russia’s Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova, presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, and Iran’s ambassador Kazem Jalali, IRNA reported.

Russian filmmaker Nikita Mikhalkov presented Majidi with the festival’s “Diamond Butterfly” honor, praising his body of work.

Before presenting the award, scenes from Majidi’s films, including “Muhammad (PBUH), The Messenger of God,” were shown in the hall, accompanied by Iranian music. The screening was followed by a minutes-long standing ovation.

During his acceptance speech, Majidi highlighted his long-standing focus on children and paid tribute to the “innocent children of Gaza,” expressing hope for peace for all children affected by war.

Majid Majidi, 66, has touched on many themes and genres in his films and has won numerous international awards. He has brought the Iranian cinema to the attention of the world's film viewers.

His film “Children of Heaven” (1997), the story of two children who share one set of shoes, was the first Iranian film ever to be nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film category. Iranian cinema became famous in Hollywood after the nomination and demonstrated its capacity to touch universal audiences with stories of poverty, dignity, and love.

Majidi continued to direct films like “The Color of Paradise” (1999) and “Baran” (2001), which topped prizes on film festival circuits from Montreal to Moscow.

The principal purpose of the Diamond Butterfly Open Eurasian Film Award is to remind the world of the true mission of cinema: to address values, culture, and universal essences, leaving commercial success in the background. The Eurasian Film Award is intended for all countries that strive to protect traditional values and respect their national culture.

A new international film award established by Russia's Ministry of Culture, the Russian Cultural Foundation, and the Eurasian Academy of Cinematic Arts, the Eurasian Film Award is already being compared to the Oscars in scale and significance.

The event aims to promote films with traditional, spiritual, and moral values that unite people, with the main prize being a diamond-encrusted butterfly statue designed by Yuri Kuper.

The inaugural award ceremony featured participation from 17 countries across Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America, with 34 movies, offering a diverse and vibrant global platform for cinematic exchange.

Films from countries with shared cultural and spiritual traditions participated in the competition, including Russia, Iran, China, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Cuba, Senegal, South Africa, Pakistan, Belarus, Indonesia, Vietnam, and others.

SS/SAB