TEHRAN – Iranian tragicomedy “Punch Drunk” has won the best screenplay award at the 16th Cheboksary International Film Festival in Russia.

Director Adel Tabrizi co-wrote the screenplay with Arsalan Amiri.

After accepting the award, Tabrizi dedicated it to Ferdows Kaviani, a veteran Iranian actor who is suffering from Parkinson’s disease. 

Set in Tehran in 1996, the story of the film follows Mahtab who lives along with her 10-year-old child, Erfan. She is divorced from her husband, Morteza, who is in jail. Mahtab has enrolled her child in a karate class so that he does not end up like his father as far as his character is concerned. Erfan’s only interest is cinema and could not care less about sports. Hassan Khoshnud, the tough and serious karate instructor with his dictatorial methods causes Erfan to run away one day from the karate academy in the middle of exercises.

The winners of the Cheboksary festival, which is dedicated to ethnic and regional cinema, were announced last Thursday.

The Grand Prix in the feature film competition was awarded to “Everybody Hates Johan” by Norwegian director Hallvar Witzo.

The film is a comedy about Johan, a small-town loner with a flair for horses and explosives. He finds himself in constant conflict with the community, struggling to find his place in society while coping with unrequited love for his neighbor, whom accidentally blew to bits while in his teens.

Semyon Serzin from Russia was selected as best director for his film “A Similar Man”

The best actor prize went to Paul Sverre Hagen for his role in “Everybody Hates Johan”, while Olga Lapshina and Valentina Telichkina shared the award for best actress for their roles in the Russian drama “The Garden” by Larisa Sadilova.

The Grand Prix in the Ethnic and Regional Film Competition was given to “Knots” by Russian director Oleg Khamokov)

The film was directed based on an ancient Caucasian legend about the Adiyuh tower, which is located in Karachay-Cherkessia. According to legend, the young Adiyuh was kidnapped and locked in an impregnable tower by Prince Psabida.

“How People Live” by Russian director Pavel Skorobogatov won the Grand Prix for best documentary film.

The film focuses on the inhabitants of the Buryat village of Moigoty, of which there are only six left, living for more than twenty years outside of civilization without light and electricity. Being forgotten by the authorities, they do not want to go anywhere, they are building a hotel in the hope that tourists will come to them, and they are waiting for electricity and other utilities to be brought to them.

Photo: Director and writer Adel Tabrizi (2nd L) holds the award for best screenplay at the closing ceremony of the 16th Cheboksary International Film Festival in Russia on June 1, 2023. Jury members are also seen in the photo. (CIFF)

MMS/YAW