TEHRAN – “The Night When the Moon Was Full”, a true love story produced by Mohammad-Hossein Qasemi, has won the Crystal Simorgh for best movie at the 37th edition of the Fajr Film Festival.

The film also brought Narges Abyar the Crystal Simorgh for best director during the closing ceremony of the festival held at Tehran’s Milad Tower on Monday.    

The film is about Abdul-Hamid Rigi, the younger brother of Abdul-Malik Rigi, the founder and leader of the Jundallah terrorist group in southeastern Iran, who marries Faezeh Mansuri, a woman from Tehran. He forces Faezeh to leave her homeland along with her brother to live in Pakistan where they find themselves involved in the Jundallah terrorist activities.

The movie also won Hutan Shakiba the award best actor for playing the role of Abdul-Hamid Rigi, while Elnaz Shakerdoost was crowned best actress for the portrayal of his wife, Faezeh.

Fereshteh Sadr-Orafai received the award for best supporting actress for the portrayal of the mother of the Rigi brothers.

Ali Nasirian was selected as best supporting actor for his role in “The Clown” directed by Homayun Ghanizadeh.

The award for best screenwriter was presented to Mohsen Qarai and Mohammad Davudi for their collaboration in “Qasre Shirin” directed by Reza Mirkarimi.

Director Nima Javidi won the special jury award for his drama “The Indian” about a prison warden who is assigned to transfer the prisoners to a new building during the 1960s.

Ashkan Rahgozar’s “The Last Fiction”, which is based on a classic story from Persian poet Ferdowsi’s masterpiece “The Shahnameh”, won the award for best animated film.

A jury composed of filmmakers Mohammad-Ali Bashe Ahangar, Mohammad Bozorgnia, Puran Derakhshandeh and Mohammad Ehsani, cinematographer Mahmud Kalari, film critic Mehrzad Danesh and actress Rima Raminfar judged the movies.

A full report of the closing ceremony of the festival will be published tomorrow.

Photo: This combination photo shows actors Hutan Shakiba (L) and Elnaz Shakerdoost and director Narges Abyar after accepting their awards for “The Night When the Moon Was Full” during the 37th Fajr Film Festival at Tehran’s Milad Tower on February 11, 2019. (Mehr/Majid Asgaripur)

MMS