TEHRAN – The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) on Friday honored the Iranian movies “Scent of Wind” and “The Football Aficionado” with awards in its two main categories.

Directed by Hadi Mohaqeq, “Scent of Wind” received the Kim Jiseok Award, which is given to two established Asian filmmakers with three or more feature films.

The film’s story is set in a distant Iranian village where a paralyzed man collects herbal medicine in the mountains for making his living with his sick child. The electricity goes off in his house and an electrician comes to fix it. Unfortunately, the problem is bigger than what was anticipated and may take days to be resolved. When he sees the child on the sickbed, he feels committed to doing whatever he can to bring the electricity back. However, he has a tough job ahead with facing nature and some unexpected events.  

“Alteration” by Uzbek director Yalkin Tuychiev was the other winner of the award.

“The Football Aficionado” was given the BIFF Mecenat Award, which is granted to the best documentary from Korea and Asia in the Wide Angle section.

The documentary, co-directed by Sharmin Mojtahedzadeh and Paliz Khoshdel, follows Zahra, a huge football fan from Tehran, who faces a repeated ordeal. 

All she did was to go to the stadium to watch a football game she loves. Since 1981, Iran has banned women from the stadiums. For Zahra who is full of energy and mischief, football is her entire life and she can never give it up. She disguises herself as a man to go to the stadium and posts her situation on social media to raise interest, but the wall of reality is too high. Eventually, she witnesses a moment of change, yet she can’t help but feel hurt.

The Korean film “A Table for Two”, directed by Kim Boram about the roots of the relationship between a daughter suffering from an eating disorder and a helpless mother, won the other award in this category.

“A Wild Roomer” by Korean director Lee Jeong-hong and “Shivamma” by Jaishankar Aryar from India won the New Current Award, which is granted to two best feature films selected from the first or second feature of new Asian directors.

“Southern Afternoon” by Lan Tian from China and “I’m Here” by Jeong Eunuk from Korea won the Sonje Award.

Iranian director Saeid Rustai (Saeed Roustaee) was a member of the Sonje Award Jury, which selected the winners in the Wide Angle – Korean Short Film Competition Section and the Asian Short Film Competition Section.

Kim Youngsung was picked as best actor for his role in the Korean drama “Big Sleep”, and his Korean fellow Kim Geumsoon won the best actress award for her role in “Star of Ulsan”.

Dozens of awards were also granted in other sections of the 27th edition of the prestigious South Korean film event.

Photo: Director Hadi Mohaqqeq plays appears in a scene from his film “Scent of Wind”.

MMS/YAW