TEHRAN – Iranian cartoonist Mojtaba Heidarpanah has won second prize at the 5th International Contest Animalcartoon in Serbia.

His cartoon depicts a primitive man who has hatched out from a monkey’s head, igniting fire on its shoulder.    

Earlier in August, Heidarpanah took second place at the 28th International Satire and Humor Festival City of Trento in Italy.

The Animalcartoon organizers put their spotlight on an animal in every edition of the contest, and monkeys were the theme of the 2020 edition. 

First prize worth €500 euros was awarded to Serbian cartoonist Sava Babic, whose winning cartoon shows a monkey family waiting for a car to take them to a zoo as they see their home destroyed in the jungle by the cutting down of trees.

Romanian cartoonist Doru Axinte won third prize worth €300.

Iranian cartoonist Khodayar Marui and Ali Mirai along with 12 other artists from around the world were also awarded honorable mentions.

Cartoonist Masud Shojai-Tabatabai from Iran was a member of the jury, which was composed of Marco De Angelis from Italy, Zhu Cheng from China, Lazo Sredanovic Dikan Montenegro and Serbian artists Toso Borkovic, Marija Soldatovic, Milomir Djukanovic and Jovo Skomac.

Nearly 2,000 works by 668 cartoonists from 72 countries were submitted to the Animalcartoon contest. With 113 cartoonists, Iran had the largest number of participants in the competition.

Photo: This cartoon by Iranian artist Mojtaba Heidarpanah won second prize at the 5th International Contest Animalcartoon in Serbia.

MMS/YAW