TEHRAN – “Mermaid” by Iranian director Amir-Masud Aqababaian won a special jury award at the first Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Film Festival held in Qingdao, Shandong Province, the Xinhua News Agency announced on Sunday.

The film is about Yunes, a survivor of a diving team from the Iran-Iraq war, who lives in an Iranian city near the Persian Gulf and tries to prove the oil companies are responsible for the water pollution in the gulf.

“Yo’L Bo’Lsin” from Uzbekistan, “Air Safar” from Tajikistan, “Punjab Nahi Jaungi” from Pakistan and “Tum-Pabi-Dum” from Belarus also won special jury awards at this festival. 

“Mina Walking” from Afghanistan and “Enter the Forbidden City” from China shared the award for best film while “Mina Walking” brought Yosef Baraki the award for best director.

Iranian director and writer Masud Jafari-Jozani was a member of the jury panel of the festival, which was held from June 13 to 17. 

Photo: Amir Aqai acts in a scene from “Mermaid” by Amir-Masud Aqababaian.

RM/MMS/YAW