Golestan Awards to be Presented to Iranian Photographers

From the day the lifeless body of the late Kaveh Golestan was laid to rest in the village of Afjeh, discussions began about awarding prizes in his name to Iranian photographers. It has now been reported that the Golestan family has announced that in memory of this deceased photographer and his efforts for photography in Iran, awards will be given annually in three different categories. These awards will be given for the best photo-report with a human perspective, one news photo, and one photographer recognized as a young talent. The first ceremony is scheduled to take place in the autumn of 1383 in the Iranian calendar, with the Golestan Gallery as the organizer. Additionally, an exhibition showcasing selected works will be held concurrently with the awards ceremony. The advisory committee for this initiative includes Parisa Simaye Mailehfar, Rana Javadi, Bahman Jalali, Kaveh Kazemi, and Mohammad Farnoud. Bahman Jalali, a photography professor and one of the first to propose the award in Kaveh Golestan's name, states: "Our human trait is forgetfulness; otherwise, we would go mad. In five months, we will forget Kaveh Golestan as well. However, if we truly believe in the permanence of his work, name, and memory as the greatest photojournalist in contemporary Iranian history... I recommend that an award be established to be presented annually on the anniversary of Kaveh's death in his name to the best photojournalist of the year." Meanwhile, Ms. Leili Golestan, Kaveh Golestan's sister, also emphasizes the establishment of an award in her brother's name, stating: "This is the only motivation that will bring healing to me and my family."