TEHRAN – “The Stranger”, an Iranian film that portrays the military life of IRGC commander Mohammad Borujerdi, scored a big win on Tuesday by garnering five prizes at the National Will Manifestation Awards.

The gala is a supplement to the Fajr Film Festival and the awards are presented by public organizations and institutes to those films that are in agreement with their goals and interests. 

Juries from the organizations select winners from the films screened at the Fajr Film Festival every year. This year’s festival was held from February 1 to 11.

The awards ceremony organized at the Azadi Hotel was attended by the festival president Mojtaba Amini and representatives of public organizations.

Directed by Mohammad-Hossein Latifi, “The Stranger” is about IRGC commander Mohammad Borujerdi’s struggles against separatists in western Iran to maintain territorial integrity in the region in the early 1980s.

Latifi and writer and producer Hamed Anqa and actor Babak Hamidian, who stars as Borujerdi in the film, won the awards from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance, Bank Mellat, the Culture Ministry’s Quran Department, the Office of the Vice President for Women and Family Affairs, and the Public Culture Council.

“Fragrant” received awards from three organizations, including the Astan Qods Razavi, the organizational custodian of the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS), Municipality of Mashhad.

Director Hadi Moqaddamdoost and writer Hossein Hassani were honored by the organization. This film tells the story of a happy couple, which faces some challenges as they are waiting for their first child to be born.   

The Astan Qods Razavi also gave its best film award to “The Smart Kid” produced by Hamedi Jafari.

The movie tells the story of Mohsen, a little boy who loves film superheroes and tries to act like them. In his rare mission, he decides to help an animal from an endangered species in Iran.  

The film also won the best film awards of the Environment Faction of the Iranian Parliament and Bank Mellat. 

The bank also honored Leili Aaj for her directorial debut, “Colonel Sorayya”.

Written based on a true story, the film portrays mothers longing for their children being held captive in Iraq at Camp Ashraf, the base of the MKO, which has officially been designated as a terrorist group.

“Bavardeh Flowers”, “Metropol Cinema”, “In the Arms of the Tree”, “A Man in Leather Jacket”, “The Captain”, “Number 10”, “They Loved Me” and several other films were also honored by some organizations.

Photo: Director Mohammad-Hossein Latifi holds his prize after being honored during the National Will Manifestation Awards at Tehran’s Azadi Hotel on February 14, 2023.

MMS/YAW