TEHRAN- The International Theater Festival for Children and Young Adults in Ardakan concluded its 28th edition with a grand ceremony on Sunday. 

The festival came to an end by honoring the winners in various categories, Mehr reported on Monday.  

Among the highlights of the festival was the play "The Dream of a Horse Named Shabarang" directed by Mohammad Jahanpa, which received the best theater award. Jahanpa also took home the best director award, while Mehdi Simriz was recognized for the best screenplay.

The best actor award was shared by Alireza and Saheb Haerizadeh for their performances in “Aladdin”, and Sarina Razzaq was honored with the best actress award for “Chocolate Pudding”.

In the Children’s Theater competition, Bahram Jalalipur's play "A Rooster Who Wanted to See the Night" was awarded the best play, with Milad Ramezani winning the best actor award. Behnaz Mahdikhah took home the best actress award for her role in "The World of One Hundred Colors".

The Street Theater category saw Saeid Allahyari being named the best director for his play “Toranj and the Ghoul of the Tree of Wishes.”

Additionally, the organizers announced that as a result of the festival and the collaboration of 100 artists from the province, six prisoners of unintentional crimes were released.

The festival, which opened on February 20, is an annual event that has been held in Iran since 1993. It seeks to promote theater and drama among children and young adults from all over the world, providing a platform for them to showcase their talent and experience different cultures.

The goals of the festival also include realizing the social participation of children and teenagers, improving the level of public culture, strengthening the original foundations of the family and connecting generations, teaching citizenship, and increasing responsibility by creating a platform for the active participation of children and teenagers in the production of theatrical works which is part of the rights of this dynamic and influential group of society.

This year’s edition of the festival was held with the slogan “Theater, the Pure Practice of Life” and with the aim of strengthening empathy and companionship, and growing the awareness and self-confidence of the children of Iran through theater.

The Yazd Governorate organized the festival in the historical city of Ardakan with the cooperation of the General Department of Dramatic Arts of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and the Dramatic Arts Association of Iran. 

During the festival, theater companies presented productions that were designed specifically for children and young adults, using a mix of storytelling, music, dance, and visual effects. A range of educational and entertaining workshops were also organized alongside the performances, offering opportunities for festival attendees to learn new skills and techniques.

SAB/