TEHRAN-Four films from Iran won awards at different sections of the 9th International Film Festival of Shimla, India, which was held from September 22 to 24.

“For The Sake of Ava” by Mohsen Seraji, “Nargesi” by Payam Eskandari, “NELUMBO” by Abbas Khademorasul, and “Roya” by Mohammadreza Mohammadi were the Iranian winners at the event, Mehr reported on Tuesday.

In the international feature film section, “Nargesi” grabbed the best feature film award and “For the Sake of Ava” received the honorable mention of the festival.

“Nargesi” follows Hossein, who has Down syndrome. His greatest wish is to find love and get married and for this, he is ready for doing anything. It seems, however, that there is no place for him and his love in this world until a gift completely turns his life around.

Renowned actor Shahab Hosseini has produced the film and also plays in it along with Hossein Eskandari.

Eskandari’s first feature film, “Nargesi” has so far been screened at several festivals. It won the ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal at the 53rd International Film Festival of India last November. It had also won the Best Director Award at New-York Film Week.

“For The Sake of Ava” is a story about a group of teenage girls who are part of a theater group and are trying to attend a festival abroad. Ava, an Iranian-Afghan immigrant, is the main actress in the group and is struggling to obtain a passport. The film highlights the challenges and resilience of young artists pursuing their dreams in the face of adversity.

A 2023 drama, the film has Mehdi Zaminpardaz, Negar Abedi, Hedyeh Zamanpour, Faranak Foroutan, Reza Jahani, Mahsa Habibi, Saba Ahmadi, Ayda Moradi, and Neda Mahjoub in the cast among others.

The other two Iranian winners at the festival were in the short film section. “Roya” won the best short film award and “NELUMBO” received the honorable mention of the festival.

A joint production of the Iranian Youth Cinema Society and Afghanistan, “Roya” shows an Afghan couple facing catastrophic problems on their way to immigrate to Europe illegally. Mostafa Lakzaian, Roghaye Nikoo and Milad Zarei play in the film.

Produced in 2022, it has so far attended several international festivals, including the 73rd Montecatini International Short Film Festival in Italy, the 4th Sincine Film Festival in India, the 8th Wag Film Festival in Italy and the 31st Euroshorts Festival in Poland. For the latter, it won the award for best young producer. It has also won an award at the 5th Shortfundly International Annual Short Film Competition in India.

The 16-minute short film “NELUMBO” shows hope, liberation and decision making in difficult life situations. Mohammad Hossein Pourkiani plays the lead role in the flick.

The International Film Festival of Shimla aims to showcase the world’s best films, develop taste for good cinema among the youths, provide a platform for independent filmmakers and promote Indian cinema.

SS/SAB