TEHRAN – Iran’s Documentary, Experimental and Animation Film Center (DEAFC) has been honored by the first edition of the Hiroshima Animation Season, an animation film festival in Japan.

The DEAFC received a Golden Carpstar for its continuous support of animation expression in Iran for over 30 years including the production of “The Fourth Wall” directed by Mahbubeh Kalai.

This film, which was screened at the festival held in July, has won numerous awards worldwide, including the Grand Prix in the Animation Division of the Japan Media Arts Festival.

The center is also the organizer of Cinema Vérité, Iran’s international documentary film festival.

Golden Carpstar is presented to an individual, group, or organization that has made a significant contribution to the field of animation in the Pan-Pacific and Asia region in the two-year period from 2020 to 2021, based on over 60 pages of research compiled by more than 20 national and international experts.

Kristine Belson, the president of the Sony Pictures Animation, also won the award. She is responsible for spearheading the studio’s strategy and growth as well as overseeing the development and production of all theatrical, serial and short-form content on the Sony Pictures Animation slate.

Another winner was Science SARU, a Japanese animation production company founded by Masaaki Yuasa and Eunyoung Choi in 2013. Committed to nurturing new talent and implementing cutting-edge creative technology, the company has produced projects across different mediums, including television broadcasts, theatrical release and digital streaming.

Independent Taiwanese animation director Joe Hsieh, whose works often explore the dark side of human nature and are filled with horror and suspense, also won a Golden Carpstar. 

His films have captured attention in many international film festivals. His 2006 movie “Meat Days” received a nomination at the Pusan International and Hiroshima Animation Film Festivals.

The Feinaki Beijing Animation Week, a Chinese event was also honored with the award. 

Japanese animator Yoriko Mizushiri also won the award. She creates sensuous animations using body parts and familiar objects as motifs. 

Her works have been screened and awarded at numerous film festivals in Japan and abroad, including the Japan Media Arts Festival’s Animation Division New Face Award and Cannes Film Festival.

Photo: A scene from “The Fourth Wall”, a DEAFC production directed by Mahbubeh Kalai.

MMS/YAW