TEHRAN – The Hafez Awards, Iran’s first and only private awards in the film industry and TV productions, announced on Tuesday that the 20th edition of the gala will be held online this year due to the pandemic.

“The awards will experience its 20th edition this year where COVID19 has overshadowed many cinematic events in the world leading to the shutdown of movie theaters and festivals, and the Hafez Awards is no exception,” the director of the celebration, Omid Moallem, said in a press release.

“However, we decided not to cancel the program and hold it online and announce the nominees and the winners in an online program,” he added.

“We are planning to experience a new form of awards and we hope that with the collaboration of people and the cineastes, we will be able to organize an online celebration,” he noted.

“We will probably have some changes in the nominations and the awards, which will be announced later. The health of people and cineastes is our main concern while we also care about preserving the excitement and happiness, which have always been felt in this celebration and take it to the virtual world this time,” he concluded.

The awards are organized every year by the Persian cinematic monthly Donya-ye Tasvir (Picture World).

“6.5 for One Meter” by Saeid Rustai, about the horrible image of narcotics, was the big winner at the 19th edition of the Hafez Awards last year.

Photo: An image of a Hafez Award.

RM/MMS/YAW