TEHRAN- The Persian-language drama "Winners" directed by Iranian-British director Hassan Nazer, was awarded the Grand Prix at the 3rd edition of the Festival International du Cinéma Indépendant de Casablanca-FICIC (Casablanca International Independent Cinema Festival). 

The prestigious award was presented to the film during the closing ceremony of the festival, which took place in Casablanca, Morocco on Saturday.

“Winners” is set in a deprived area of a small Iranian town where children are required to work to help support their families. Nine-year-old Yahya is one such child, his little hands scouring through massive piles of junk in search of hidden treasures. One day, Yahya strikes literal gold by finding an unclaimed Oscar statue, the curious item leading the boy into an adventure-filled journey.

Supported by Scottish public body Creative Scotland, the film was shot entirely in Iran with an all-Persian-language cast, including Reza Naji, the winner of the Berlinale Silver Bear for “The Song of Sparrows”.

In the feature film section of the festival, "The Packs" by Kamal Lazraq from Morocco received the Jury Award, while "Closer" by Auguste Gerikaite from Lithuania was awarded the Grand Prix in the short film section.

Although three additional Iranian films were showcased in various sections of the festival, they did not secure any awards.

“The Town” directed by Ali Hazrati was competing at the main section of the festival. 

“The Town” narrates the story of Navid Falahati, a young man interested in acting, who is accepted in the audition for a movie. In order to join the movie, he must accept some special conditions and performs mental and psychological exercises for his role in an isolated town.

Sa’ed Soheili, Kazem Sayyahi, Mahtab Servati, Homayoun Ershadi, Roya Javaidnia, Shahrokh Forutanian, Morteza Zarrabi, and Saqi Hajipour are the cast of the film.

“The Camel and the Miller” by Abdollah Alimorad was on screen at the animation section of the event, while “Hamster” by Fatima Nofely was competing in the short film section. 

Produced by the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults – Kanoon, “The Camel and the Miller” tells the story of a miller who gets the help of a camel to grind his grain. But one day, the camel gets sick and the miller replaces him with an agricultural machine. This solution seems to be fine, but despite the characters’ apparent reserve, they slowly realize how attached they are to one another.

A joint production of Iran and France, “Hamster” follows the story of Mahi and Pouya, a couple on a trip who wake up to the tragic discovery of their friends' deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning, for which they hold themselves accountable.

As Mahi grapples with the guilt and responsibility of their friends' deaths, she struggles to come to terms with the harsh reality of their situation. Despite the fear and uncertainty that looms over her, she decides that running away will only make matters worse and believes that staying to confront the consequences is the right thing to do. Pouya, on the other hand, is driven by fear and self-preservation, pushing him to consider fleeing from the scene in a bid to avoid facing the reality of their actions.

As the rift between Mahi and Pouya deepens, the tension between them reaches its breaking point. In a race against time, Mahi and Pouya must come to a decision that will not only define their own fates but also determine the course of their relationship.

Photo: Reza Naji acts in a scene from "Winners" by Hassan Nazer

SAB/