TEHRAN-The 14th Iran International FICTS Festival concluded on Friday in Tehran, awarding the winners of various categories.

In the fiction section, the Iranian feature film “Hook” directed by Hossein Rigi was the big winner of the night, grabbing six awards, Mehr reported.

Producer Ali Ashtianipur received the award for the best film. Shahram Najarian was given the best cinematography award and Fardin Khalatbari won the award for best score.

Mohsen Ashtianipur and Sobhan Rakhshani were presented with the award for the best actor in a leading role and the special award for a teenage actor, respectively.

In addition, Seyed Mojtaba Alavi, the secretary of the festival, presented a special prize to the film director Hossein Rigi.

Produced in 2023, the 84-minute movie is about Shir Khan, a boy who embarks on a journey to become a champion in the sport of boxing. However, various challenges and incidents make his path to achieving his dream quite difficult.

“Arjun Chakravarthy” written and directed by Vikrant Rudra from India won the award for best screenplay. Moreover, Sija Rose received the award for the best actress in a leading role for the film.

The movie is an inspiring sports drama that chronicles the extraordinary life of Arjun Chakravarthy, a determined kabaddi player who represented India in the 1980s.

“The Start” (2022) directed by Yernar Nurgaliyev from Kazakhstan won the best actor in a supporting role award for Yerik Zholzhaksynov.

It is the story of two brothers who, after the death of their father, begin to hunt for robberies. They are noticed by an athletics coach who came from the city to the village to select talented youth. The brothers face difficult trials, and a tragic incident changes their lives. One of them will have to defeat the world champion in the marathon.

Pantea Panahiha from Iran grabbed the award for the best actress in a supporting role for “Captain” directed by Mohammad Hamzei. Moreover, Pejman Bazeghi received a special award by the festival secretary for his performance in the film.

The 2022 movie is about an 11-year-old boy named Isa who is absolutely convinced that he will soon be playing for the Iran national football team. Nothing can shake his confidence. Not even the fact that he lives in the cancer section of a hospital and gets weaker from treatment to treatment.

In the documentary section, “Desert Lights” written by Rubens Juárez and directed by Katherina Harder Sacre from Chile won the awards for best short film screenplay and director. 

“Desert Lights” (2022) takes place in the Atacama Desert in Chile, where Antay and his friends struggle to keep their drought-stricken town afloat.

The award for the best short film in the Paralympic section was given to “The Wall” by Evrim Inci from Turkey. 

Produced in 2023, it is a fairy tale documentary of Büsra Ün, the first female tennis player to represent Turkey in the Olympics, her stance against life, and the sacrifices she has made on the way from her daily life to her sports career.

Iranian filmmakers Shahram Maslakhi and Hadi Shariati received the awards for best feature documentary director and best feature documentary for “The Last 5 Minutes” and “Sattar El Classico,” respectively.

A production of 2023, “The Last 5 Minutes” is about a runner who has no country to live. “Sattar El Classico,” also made in 2023, depicts Elyas who goes to racetracks at the weekends and bets on horses. Oftentimes his money is on Sattar Mehrani, a jockey widely known as Sattar El Classico.

The award for the best short documentary director was presented to Ehsan Kamarkhani from Iran for “Son of Mountain” (2022). It deals with a boy who is born with disabilities in both feet and fingers of his right hand. Despite having all the physical disabilities, he turns to mountaineering and meets a person in a mountaineering program who changes his life path.

The International Sports Film Festival of Iran is the exclusive representative of the Federation Internationale Cinema Television Sportifs (FICTS). The festival is part of the World FICTS Challenge held across 16 countries worldwide.

More than 620 productions from 72 countries registered in this year’s edition of the festival including more than 250 works and productions from Iran and 370 foreign films.

The festival was held in collaboration with Iran’s National Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the Ministry of Sports and Youth, the IRIB, the Cinema Organization of Iran, and the Tehran Municipality.

The FICTS headquarters is located in Milan, Italy, with over 134 member countries. The Iranian festival is recognized as one of the 16 global hubs and hosts 34 Asian countries, serving as a gateway for participation in the global festival in Milan, which attracts filmmakers and cinema professionals from these regions.

Winners in each category, including feature films, short films, documentaries, animations, and TV shows, qualify for the Milano International FICTS Fest, which serves as the final phase of the World FICTS Challenge.

Photo: Actor Pejman Bazeghi holds his award for the film “Captain” at the closing ceremony of the 14th Iran International FICTS Festival in Tehran, November 29, 2024. 

SS/SAB