TEHRAN- The 30th edition of Iran’s International Theater Festival for Children and Young Adults, a prestigious event in the world of children's theater, came to a close on Thursday with a grand closing ceremony held in the city of Hamedan. 

The ceremony marked the culmination of a week-long celebration of art, culture, and entertainment for children and youth, Mehr reported. 

The event, which was attended by a large number of theater enthusiasts, artists, and officials, saw the introduction of the winners in different sections of the festival, the report added. 

The international section of the festival saw the presentation of awards to four outstanding plays. The jury, comprising renowned theater experts, was impressed by the quality and creativity of the plays, and chose to award prizes to four productions.

“Devil's Trap” directed by Mohammad Jahanpa from Mashhad, “Triangle” by Qeis Yassaqi from Tehran, “The Mice' Meeting” by Sona Martirosyan from Armenia and "The Stubborn Adventurer" by Fábio Superbi from Brazil were honored in this section. 

In the national section of the festival, in the Young Children category, "From Seed to Bread" by Hamed Torabi from Hamedan was crowned Best Play. 

"Cute Faces" by Hadith Saberi from Qom received an honorable mention in this section. 

In the Children section, "Pinocchio," directed by Davoud Zare, was named Best Play. The play also brought Zare the Best Director award.

In the Young Adults section, the play "Enemy of God," directed by Emadeddin Rajablo and Majid Araqi won the Best Play award. 

The 30th Iran’s International Theater Festival for Children and Young Adults was organized by the Dramatic Arts Center of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, supported by Hamedan Municipality and in partnership with the Hamedan province's Cultural and Islamic Guidance Office, as well as the Iranian Dramatic Arts Association.

The event aimed at enhancing unity and companionship, growth, awareness, and the confidence of Iranian children through the medium of theater as well as achieving social participation of children and adolescents, promoting public culture, strengthening the foundations of family and intergenerational communication, and educating citizens and increasing responsibility through the active participation of Iranian children and adolescents in the production of theatrical works.

With the motto “Today’s Child, New Narratives, Tomorrow’s Stage”, the 30th edition of Iran’s International Theater Festival for Children and Young Adults was held from December 5 to 11.

Photo: Iranian stage director Davoud Zare is holding his award at the closing ceremony of the 30th edition of Iran’s International Theater Festival for Children and Young Adults in Hamedan on December 11, 2025.

SAB/