The film 'Rokh Divane' wins the most awards at the Fajr Film Festival

The cinematic film 'Rokh Divane', directed by Abolhasan Davoodi, was recognized as the record holder for the most awards at the 33rd Fajr Film Festival, winning five awards including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Audience Film on Wednesday night, February 22. According to the state news agency IRNA, producer Beita Mansouri received the Best Film award. The film tells the story of several young people who meet through an online arrangement and find themselves in a complex and thrilling situation due to a joke and a bet. The Crystal Simorgh Special Jury Award was given to Javad Norouzbeigi for producing three films: 'Bahman', 'Confessions of My Dangerous Mind', and 'I Am Diego Maradona'. An honorary diploma for the Special Jury Award in the Simorgh category was awarded to Niki Karimi for her performances and direction of the film 'Night Shift'. The closing ceremony of the 33rd Fajr Film Festival took place amid criticisms regarding the exclusion of works from several renowned filmmakers. The absence of films such as 'Absolute Rest' by Abdolreza Kahani, 'Whale Amber' directed by Saman Moghadam, 'I Want' by Bahman Farmanara, 'Delta X' directed by Alireza Amini, 'Mother of the Atomic Heart' by Ali Ahmadzadeh, and 'Taboo' by Khosro Masoumi from the festival's competition raised questions about censorship. Unlike previous years, the international section was omitted from this year’s festival. Actress Baran Kowsari from the film 'Nameless Alley' also won the Crystal Simorgh for Best Actress. 'Nameless Alley' narrates the story of two neighbors in a southern Tehran neighborhood who experience ups and downs due to differing opinions on even the simplest life matters. Actor Saeed Aghakhani from the film 'Long Goodbye' won the Crystal Simorgh for Best Actor. He won this award despite being up against nominees such as Siamak Safari for 'Confessions of My Dangerous Mind', Mohsen Tanabandeh for 'Iran Burger', Shahab Hosseini for 'The Era of Love', and Hossein Yari for 'Mazar Sharif'. 'Long Goodbye' tells the story of a man who has been acquitted of a controversial murder charge, yet society and those around him still view him as a criminal, focusing on his emotional relationship and efforts to maintain his personal, social, and emotional life. The Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance stated at the closing ceremony, 'Your presence is the best response to those who cannot tolerate the creation of a hopeful atmosphere in Iranian cinema.' Ali Jannati added, 'The ceiling for cinema sales in the last year of the previous government was 32 billion tomans, but in the last 10 months of the eleventh government, this sales figure has reached 52 billion tomans, which speaks volumes.' In recent months, the screening of eight films has faced objections from Iranian parliament representatives, and some of these films, including 'I Am Not Angry', have been removed from the screening schedule. The Crystal Simorgh for Best Cinematography was awarded to Alireza Zarrindast for the film 'Mazar Sharif' and to Alireza Barazandeh for the film 'The Era of Love'. Additionally, the Crystal Simorgh for Best Editing was awarded to Nima Jafari Jozani for the film 'Afternoon Ice'. 'Mazar Sharif' narrates the attack on the Iranian consulate in Mazar Sharif, Afghanistan, where all members of the consulate were killed except for one in August 1998.