TEHRAN – The New York-based Iranian director Amir Naderi has been honored with the lifetime achievement award of the Iranian Short Film Association (ISFA).

He was decorated with the honor last week on Tuesday during the closing ceremony of the 8th edition of the ISFA Independent Short Film Festival in Tehran.

He could not attend the ceremony and the award was presented to him in his office in the United States by Iranian filmmaker Anahita Ghazvinizadeh.

In a video published by the ISFA, Naderi, the director of the acclaimed movie, “The Runner”, expressed his thanks to the organizers of the festival and asked Iranian youth to watch his latest film “Monte”, which is currently on screen at some Iranian theaters.

He said that he is sure at least ten persons in Iran will pursue a filmmaking career as a result of watching “Monte”. 

In a message sent to Nader, the ISFA wrote, “Your life and films reflect a diligence and forbearance to achieve great ambitions.”

“We have learned from you to remain independent forever, not to surrender to boundaries and think freely.”  

Earlier in September 2016, Naderi receives the Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award prior to the premiere of “Monte” during the 73rd Venice Film Festival at Sala Grande in Venice, Italy.

The ISFA Independent Short Film Festival presented its best foreign-language film award to the Oscar-nominated drama “Timecode” by Spanish director Juanjo Giménez.  

Photo: Iranian director Amir Naderi plants a kiss on an award he received for his lifetime achievement from the ISFA at his office in New York. (Photo by ISFA) 

MMS/YAW