Celebrating Women’s History Month (March 1-31), IMDb published a video on Twitter to take a look back at “cinematic history in salute of the pioneering women directors and their groundbreaking work,” the online entertainment database tweeted along the video that featured scenes of Bani-Etemad’s 2014 drama, Tales (Ghesseh-ha).

Born in Tehran in 1954, Bani-Etemad – who holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in film studies from the Dramatic Arts University in Tehran – is widely considered as the most important female director in Iran, titled ‘First Lady of Iranian Cinema’.

Her movies and documentaries picture social and cultural issues and complications in modern-day Iran.

The Tales – which adopts an episodic narrative – portrays the fates of seven characters of Bani-Etemad’s previous flicks.

The film won the award for Best Screenplay (written by Bani-Etemad and Farid Mostafavi) at the 71st Venice International Film Festival.

It also brought Bani-Etemad the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award – dedicated to best film – at Kolkata International Film Festival in 2014, as well as the Special Jury Prize at Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Australia) in the same year.

Also featured in IMDb’s short video were the likes of Sofia Coppola, Jodie Foster, Meryl Streep, Chinese-American film director Lulu Wang, Sarah Polley, and Barbra Streisand.

Rakhshan Banietemad

Rakhshan Banietemad, born in 1954 Tehran, began to make documentaries for the Iranian National Television in 1979, right after graduating from the University of Dramatic Arts, Tehran. From 1979 to 1987 she focused on making only documentaries. In 1987, she directed her first feature film Off the Limits. In 1991, she became the first woman recipient of the Best Director award for Nargess at Fajr International Film Festival in Iran. In 1995, she won the Bronze Leopard for The Blue Veiled at the Locarno Film Festival. Under the Skin of the City, her next film, was the highest grossing film in Iran in 2000. This film along with Gilaneh (2005) and Mainline (2006), garnered major awards in more than 50 film festivals.

While Banietemad’s feature films have been acclaimed and honored worldwide, her documentaries have also been successful and popular internationally. Our Times …, was the first documentary ever to be released in the movie theatres in Iran in 2002. It was also screened in highly prestigious and prominent festivals and TV channels such as IDFA, Sundance Film Festival and ARTE.

Banietemad started her work by making documentaries and has never ended the strong connection she has always had with her works. Making documentaries have been her main way of connecting with the society and social issues. Her approach and in depicting social issues has been so strong and effective that her works have always resulted in causing change in the lives of her documentaries’ characters.

In 2008, she received an honorary doctorate from University of London, in 2010, she was awarded the Prix Henri Langlois from Vincennes International Film Festival. Her latest feature film, Tales, was awarded the Best Screenplay prize in the main competition section of 2014 Venice International Film Festival.

More recently, she has joined the Academy Oscar, Writers branch in 2017.

Feature Films

• Tales (Ghesseh ha), 2014
• Heiran (producer), Director: Shalizeh Arefpour, 2009
• Mainline (Khun bazi), 2006
• Gilaneh, 2005
• Under the Skin of the City (Zir-e pust-e shahr), 2000
• Baran and the Native (Baran va bumi), part of feature-film Kish, 1998
• The May Lady (Banu-ye ordibehesht), 1997
• The Blue Veiled (Rusari abi), 1994
• Nargess, 1991
• Foreign Currency (Poul-e khareji), 1989
• Canary Yellow (Zard-e qanari), 1988
• Off the Limits (Kharej az mahdudeh), 1987

DOCUMENTARIES

• Touran Khanom, Co director, 2018
• Karestan Documentary films as follows (Artistic consultant), 2013 -17  Film 1. Poets of Life
   Film 2. Puzzleys
   Film 3. Mother of the Earth
   Film 4. MAHAK: A World She Founded
   Film 5. Friends at Work
   Film 6. Flax to Fire
• Hey, Humans (Ay, Adamha), 2016
• A Lifetime in an Hour (Yek saat az yek omr), 2015
• All My Trees (Hameh derakhtan-e man), 2015
• The Other Side of Mirrors (An sooy-e ayeneh ha), 2014
• The Mirrors Recital (Concert-e ayeneh ha), 2014
• The Concert of the Lords of Secrets (concert-e khodavandan-e asrar), 2014
• Mahak My Home (Khaneh man Mahak), a teamwork, 2014
• Keep Children in School (Bacheh ha ra dar madreseh negahdarim), a teamwork, 2012
• The Room No. 202 (Otahgh-e 202) Part of “Kahrizak 4 Views”, 2012
• See you Tomorrow Elina (Farda mibinamet Elina), 2010
• We Are Half of Iran’s Population (Ma nimi az jameiat-e Iranim), 2009
• Angels of the House of Sun (Hayat khalvate khaneh khorshid), 2009
• Second Home (producer), Director: Mahvash Sheikholeslami, 2008
• 3D Carpet (Farsh-e 3 Bodi), Part of “Iranian Carpet”, 2007
• Our Times… (Ruzegar-e ma…), 2002
• Under the Skin of the City (Zir-e pust-e shahr), 1996
• The Last Visit with Iran Daftari (Akharin didar ba Iran Daftari), 1995
• To Whom Do You Show These Films? (In filmha ra beh ki neshun midin?), 1993
• Spring to Spring (Bahar ta bahar), 1993
• The 1992 Report (Gozaresh-e 71), 1993
• Centralization (Tamarkoz), 1986
• The War Economic Planning (Tadbirha-ye eqtesadi-e jang), 1981
• Occupation of Migrant Peasants in the City (Mohajerin-e roustai dar shahr),1980
• The Culture of Consumption (Farhang-e masrafi), 1979

Awards

• Diploma of Honor of Child Book Council’s, Tehran, Iran, March 2018
• Diploma of Honor of ‘Children’s Research Institute, Tehran, Iran, December 2018
• Special Cinema Section Award, 2nd  Davood Rashidi Commemorative Award, Tehran, Iran, August  2018
• Honorary Award, 7th Int’l Malatya FF (Turkey) 2017
• Honorary Golden Cyclo, 23th Vesoul Film Festival (France), 2017
• Ethics and Prayer Award for social and civilian activities (Iran), 2016
• Cinema Honorary Award, 4th Int’l Women FF (Afghanistan), 2016
• Cinema Honorary Award, 6th Int’l Crime & Punishment FF (Turkey), 2016
• Best Film, Tales, Prague Iranian FF (Chezk), 2016
• Audience Award, Tales, Gene Siskel Film Center (USA), 2015
• Best Film, Tales, London Iranian FF (UK), 2015
• Special Jury Prize, Tales, Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Australia), 2014
• Best Film, Tales, Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award, Kolkata Int’l FF (India), 2014
• Best Screenplay prize, Tales, Venice Int’l FF (Italy), 2014
• Special Jury Prize, Kahrizak 4 views, Dubai Int’l FF (UAE), 2012
• Prix Henri Langlois, Vincennes Int’l FF (France), 2010
• Special Jury Prize, We Are Half of Iran’s Population, (WIFTS) (USA), 2009
• Special Jury Prize & Best Actress, Mainline, Dhaka Int’l FF (Pakistan), 2009
• Best Screenplay & Best Actress, Mainline, Pyongyang Int’l FF (North Korea), 2008
• Grand Jury Prize, Mainline. Int’l Women’s Film Festival (Creteil, France), 2008
• Achievement in Directing, Mainline, Asia Pacific Screen Awards (Australia), 2007
• Best Director & Best Actress, Mainline, Iran Cinema House Awards (Iran), 2007
• Best Director & Best Actress, Mainline, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 2007
• Best Film, Mainline, City Int’l FF (Iran), 2006
• Best Film, Mainline, Asiatica Film Mediale (Italy), 2006
• Special Jury Prize, Gilaneh, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Int’l FF (Spain), 2006
• Netpac Award, Gilaneh, Vesoul Asian Film Festival (France), 2006
• Golden Lotus Award, Iranian Women Film Directors (Iran), 2006
• Best Film & Best Actress, Gilaneh, Kara Int’l FF (Pakistan), 2005
• Artistic & Cultural Achievement Award, Kara Int’l FF (Pakistan), 2004
• Special Jury Award, Under the Skin of the City, Seattle Int’l FF (USA), 2002
• Netpac Award, Our Times…, Locarno Int’l FF (Swiss), 2002
• Netpac Award, Under the Skin of the City, Karlovy Vary Int’l FF (Chezk), 2001
• Holden Award for Best Script, Audience Award, & Cinemavvenire Award for Best Feature Film, Under the Skin of the City, Turin Int’l FF (Italy), 2001
• Special Jury Prize, Under the Skin of the City, Moscow Int’l FF (Russia), 2000
• Special Jury Award, The May Lady, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 1998
• Honorable Mention, FIPRESCI Award, The May Lady, Montreal Int’l FF (Canada), 1998
• Prince Claus Prize for Culture and Development (The Netherlands), 1998
• “Il Sindaco di Firenze” Peace and Freedom Award (Italy), 1998
• Best Asian Woman Director, The Blue Veiled, India Int’l FF (India), 1996
• FIPRESCI Award, The Blue Veiled, Tessaloniki Int’l FF (Greece), 1996
• Bronze Leopard, The Blue Veiled, Locarno Int’l FF (Swiss) 1995
• Best Script & Best Supporting Actress, The Blue Veiled, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 1994
• Best Director & Best Musical Score, Nargess, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 1991
• Best Supporting Actor, Canary Yellow, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 1988
• Best Film, Off the Limits, Comedy Int’l FF (Italy), 1987

PROFESSIONAL DISTINCTIONS

• Jury Member, Dhaka Int’l FF Bangladesh), 2020
• President of the jury, Herat Film Festival (Afghanistan), 2019
• Jury Member, Mumbai Int’l FF (India), 2018
• Jury Member, Venice Int’l FF (Italy), 2017
• Academy Oscars Member, Writers Branch, 2017
• President of the jury, Vesoul Film Festival (France), 2017
• President of the jury, Prague Iranian Film Festival (Czech), 2017
• President of the jury, Image Film Festival (Iran), 2016
• President of the jury, Cinema Verite Int’l FF (Iran), 2013
• President of the jury, Busan Int’l FF (South Korea), 2013
• Master Class, California Institute of the Arts (USA), 2013
• Jury Member, Shanghai Int’l FF (China), 2012
• Jury Member, Dubai Int’l FF (UAE), 2010
• Jury Member, Asiatic Film Mediale Festival (Italy), 2010
• Master Class, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis (USA), 2010
• Jury Member, Fribourg Int’l FF (Switzerland), 2010
• Jury Member, Urban Int’l FF (Iran), 2009
• Producer, Heiran, feature-film (Iran), 2009
• Producer, Second House, documentary (Iran), 2008
• Honorary Doctorate, University of London (Iran), 2008
• Master Class, School of Oriental and African Studies, SOAS (England), 2008
• Master Class, Geneva University of Art & Design (ESBA), 2008
• Jury Member, Cinema Verite Int’l FF (Iran), 2007
• Jury Member, Women’s Film Festival (Iran), 2006
• Jury Member, Asian Cinema, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 2006
• Jury Member, Art University Student Festival (Iran), 2005
• Director, Sony Young Directors Film Festival (Iran), 2003
• Jury Member, Asia Pacific Film Festival (Iran), 2003
• Jury Member, Sony Young Directors Film Festival (Iran), 2002
• Jury Member, Moscow Int’l FF (Russia), 2002
• Jury Member, Cairo Int’l FF (Egypt), 2002
• Jury Member, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 2001
• Jury Member, Montreal Int’l FF (Canada), 2001
• Jury Member, Youth Film Festival (Iran), 2001
• Jury Member, Student Film Festival (Iran), 1999
• Jury Member, Leipzig Int’l FF (Germany), 1999
• Jury Member, Tokyo Environmental Int’l FF, (Japan), 1998
• Jury Member, New Delhi Int’l FF (India), 1998
• Jury Member, Student Film Festival (Iran), 1997
• Jury Member, Locarno Int’l FF (Swiss), 1996
• Jury Member, Turin Int’l FF (Italy), 1995
• Jury Member, Center for Iranian Film Directors (Iran), 1993
• Jury Member, Roshd Film Festival (Iran), 1992
• Jury Member, Fajr Int’l FF (Iran), 1990

KÂRÂ FILM STUDIO

KARA Film Studio is a name under which a group of professional Iranian filmmakers express their common concerns regarding humanistic, social and cultural issues through documentary films, while maintaining their own diverse and distinct vision. In KARA Film Studio, filmmakers in small or large numbers, gather together and, starting with an outline of a documentary project, complete the work in a professional manner.

KARA Film Studio operates under a number of principles: personal financing or financing through private sector; working as teams and in a workshop from development of an idea through to its completion and distribution; giving young and talented documentary filmmakers an opportunity to work with professionals and assistance with their development, due respect for the audience by maintaining high standards in the production phase, endeavor to provide improved and increased means of screening films inside and outside Iran; …
Rakhshan Banietemad and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb are the constant participants in this group.

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The event was attended by Iran’s First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri, Culture Minister Abbas Salehi, Director of the 36th Fajr Film Festival Ebrahim Darougheh-Zadeh and Director of Cinema Organization of Iran Mohammad-Mahdi Heidarian.

President Hassan Rouhani in a message to the 36th Fajr Film Festival, which was read by Culture Minister Salehi, said cinema is one of the most effective cultural and artistic means that man has discovered to convey his messages, and civilizational heritages and achievements.

“Our cinema should once again identify its cultural and civilizational domain and while attaching significance to ‘religious and national culture’ as well as ‘Iranian problems’ as its central issues, should also try to have a greater share of the international economy in the visual industry. In order to achieve this goal, we should continuously promote the art and culture of other lands and our national and international capacities.”

Through expressing and putting forth new problems and viewpoints, cinema can prepare the society to encounter them, the president said in his message, adding cinema can grant psychological peace to the society, preserve social stability and consolidate law and ethic which are regulators of social relations.

The full list of winners are:

Best Film Crystal Simorgh was granted to ‘The Lost Strait’ by Saeed Malekan. The other nominees for the award were ‘Bomb: A Love Story’, ‘In the Levant Time’, ‘The Woodpecker’, ‘Underwater Cypress’, ‘Truck’ and ‘The Little Rusty Brains’.

Simorgh from the National Point of View was given to Hamed Hosseini for ‘Underwater Cypress’ and Saeed Sa’di. Hooman Seyyedi managed to win the audience Crystal Simorgh for ‘The Little Rusty Brains’.

The nominees for Best Director award were Ebrahim Hatamikia for ‘In the Levant Time’, Bahram Tavakkoli for ‘The Lost Strait’ and Behrouz Shoeibi for ‘The Woodpecker’, Hooman Seyyedi for ‘The Little Rusty Brains’, Kambuzia Partovi for ‘Truck’ and Mohammad Ali Bashe Ahangar for ‘Underwater Cypress’. However, two Crystal Simorghs for Best Director went to Hatamikia and Tavakkoli.

The Special Jury Prize of the 36th edition of the festival went to ‘Bomb: A Love Story’ by Peyman Mo’adi.

Best screenplay awards were proudly presented to Kambuzia Partovi for ‘Truck’ (which he gave to Saeed Aqakhani) and Hooman Seyyedi for ‘The Little Rusty Brains’ which was his second award in the prestigious festival.

Appreciating all the six nominees in the best actor category, the jury awarded honorary diploma to Amin Hayaei for his performance in ‘Flaming’ and Amir Jadidi for ‘The Lost Strait’ and ‘Cold Sweat’.

The long list of nominees in the Best Actress category was made up of names such as Baran Kosari for ‘Cold Sweat’ and Sara Bahrami for ‘The Woodpecker’, Shabnam Moqadami for ‘Don’t Be Embarrassed’, Mahnaz Afshar for ‘Woodpecker’, Hanieh Tavassoli for ‘The Misunderstanding’ Mahoor Alvand for ‘Istanbul Juncture’, but the award was given to Sara Bahrami.

Crystal Simorgh for best supporting actress awards went to Sahar Dolatshahi for her role in ‘Istanbul Juncture’ and ‘Cold Sweat’. She competed for the accolade with Leyli Rashidi in ‘Cold Swet’, Negar Abedi in ‘The Woodpecker’, Hoda Zeinolabedin in ‘Cold Sweat’.

This is while the Crystal Simorgh for best supporting actor award was given to Jamshid Hashempour for his role in ‘The Woodpecker’ (his daughter received the prize on behalf of her father).

Crystal Simorgh for Best Short Film was given to ‘AniMal’ by Bahram Ark, Bahman Ark.

Simorgh for Best Visual Effect went to Farid Nasser-Fassihi for the film ‘Istanbul Juncture’ by Mostafa Kiayee.

Special Effect Simorogh was presented to Mohsen Roozbehani for the film ‘The Lost Strait’, but he was not present and his son received the award.

The Simorgh for Best Makeup Artist went to Saeed Malekan for ‘The Lost Strait’.

Abbas Bolvandi for the film ‘Underwater Cypress’ won the Best Set Design Simorgh, while Sara Khaledi-Zadeh won the Best Costume Design Simorgh for the film ‘Bomb: A Love Story’.

Simorgh for the Best Sound Editing was given to Alireza Alavian for both ‘The Little Rusty Brains’ and ‘In the Levant Time’.

Rashid Daneshmand in the ‘the Lost Strait’ managed to win the Best Sound Recording Simorgh.

Karen Homayounfar for ‘In the Levant Time’ received the Best Music Simorgh while the Best Editing award was presented jointly to Bahram Dehqani and Behnam Najjarian for the film ‘Cold Sweat’.

Alireza Zarrindast won the Best Cinematography Crystal Simorgh for ‘Underwater Cypress’ defeating ‘Bomb: A Love Story’ (Mahmoud Kalari), ‘The Lost Strait’, (Hamid Khozouie Abyane), ‘Cold Sweat’ (Farshad Mohammadi) and ‘The Little Rusty Brains’ (Peyman Shadmanfar).

Best film in Art and Experience Cinema went to Hooman Seyyedi in the film ‘The Little Rusty Brains’.

Reza Maqsoodi won the Best Debut Simorgh for the film ‘Don’t Be Embarrassed’.

The panel of jury for the official competition included filmmakers Kamal Tabrizi and Rasoul Sadr-Ameli, cinematographer Bahram Badakhshani and film expert Hassan Khojasteh.

Film critic Khosro Dehqan, producer Fereshteh Taerpur and actor Mohammadreza Foroutan were other members of the jury.

The event began on February 1.

Established in 1982 as Fajr International Film Festival, the event celebrates cultural exchange, displays creative achievements of highly acclaimed cineastes and pays tribute to local and international films.

Since its establishment, the Fajr Film Festival has played a vital role in the development of Iranian Cinema.

Supervised by Iran’s Culture Ministry, the festival hosts veteran directors and new filmmakers from Iran.

The post Photo: 36th Fajr Film Festival winners honored appeared first on IRAN This Way.

Ten movies have been selected by Iran’s Farabi Cinema Foundation for the festival, which will run until December 10, the Persian service of IRNA reported on Thursday.

“Tragedy” by Azita Moguie, “Crazy Castle” by Abolhassan Davudi, “A House on 41st Street” by Hamidreza Qorbani, and “A Tale of Love” by Ahmad Ramezanzadseh are among the films.

The festival also is screening “The Long Farewell” by Farzad Motamen, “The Other One’s Dad” by Yadollah Samadi, “Where Are My Shoes” by Kiumars Purahmad, “Sweet Taste of Imagination” by Kamal Tabrizi and “Under the Moonlight” by Reza Mirkarimi.

The festival has been organized in collaboration with the Embassy of Iran and Iran’s Islamic culture and Relations Organization.

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The film chronicles the story of a family preparing for a wedding ceremony, but the situation gets complicated and tough as a result of some incidents, ISNA wrote.

The bitter social drama competed with movies from France, Denmark, Argentina, and Hong Kong to win a total of nine Crystal Simorgh awards at the 34th Fajr Film Festival.

It also won the best award at the 22nd Geneva International Film Festival Tous Ecrans and the prestigious NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema) Award at Iranian Film Festival Australia.

The festival will be held on February 9-25 in Oregon, the US.

The event is a non-profit independent film festival that is held in several local theaters in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 2013 by Joshua Leake and Jay Cornelius. The first film festival was held from August 27 through September 1, 2013 and featured networking events, workshops and food carts. 83 films were shown in the inaugural festival and over 600 were submitted for consideration at the festival. Highlights of the event included Andy Mingo’s short film ‘Romance’, which was based on a Chuck Palahniuk short story.

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Addressing the gathering, Head of Cinema Organization and Deputy Culture Minister Hojatollah Ayoubi appreciated Iranian actress Taraneh Alidoosti who boycotted this year’s Oscar Academy Awards ceremony in a show of protest against US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose visa bans on Iranians, IRNA reported.

Last week, Alidoosti took to Twitter and Instagram to slam Trump’s planned visa bans, which she described as ‘racist’ and ‘unacceptable’.

The participants in the prestigious event also paid respect to the heroic Iranian firefighters who lost their lives in the tragic Plasco incident on January 26, 2017.

Meanwhile, four veteran Iranians active in film industry including Mohammad Kasebi, Gholamreza Mousavi, Touraj Mansouri and Farhad Tohidi also received lifetime achievement awards at the 35th Fajr Film Festival.

The festival will run in Tehran and several other Iranian cities from January 29 to February 9.

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Narges Kalbasi Ashtari story

By Marjan Golpira/ She is called the Mother Teresa of India and all for good reason. At 29, Narges is a mother to many orphans, abandoned and visually impaired children in India.

However, today, she has become the victim of a very complex and unjust system in India and is being punished by the very same people she once left her life behind for.

As she puts it for change.org website, “I am going through the most horrific forms of abuse by a group of people with immense power, influence, and protection in Odisha.”

Born in Isfahan, central Iran, Narges’s parents moved to the UK when she was four years old.

Though, early on Narges was exposed to the ugly side of life. Losing both parents to incurable diseases, Narges decided to dedicate her life to serving orphans, who had suffered the very same fate as hers.

At mere 21, Narges took a year off to do some volunteer work for orphanages in Sri Lanka and India.

It was during the eye opening journey that an idea flashed into her mind: opening a children’s home herself in India through foreign funds.

According to a report on charge.org, with much difficulty, Narges was granted an employment visa through a local NGO called ASSIST (Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation).

In 2011, Narges established the Prishan Foundation in Rayagada, an orphanage home for girls in the Rayagada district in Odisha, which then led to the launch of another home for blind children in Mukundapur, all through the generosity of foreign donors.

Based on her personal account on Telegram, a messaging app, Narges named her organization in the honor of an orphaned blind girl she met in Sri Lanka.

A couple of years after the establishment of her schools, in 2013, ASSIST took away Narges’s first children’s home, the orphanage, through “forged document” and “false promises.”

The founder and secretary of ASSIST registered the Narges Foundation in his own name, manipulating Narges into believing she could not register a foundation as a foreigner.

The NGO then tried to take Narges’s second home for visually impaired children, but this time she fought back.

“I filed a complaint at the police station in Rayagada and the husband and wife behind ASSIST were sent to jail.”

But soon, the court granted the couple bail, and from then on Narges’s life became a “living hell” as she receives life threats constantly.

“They have tried to ruin my reputation, take away my second children’s home, threaten to send me to jail and have my Indian visa revoked.”

But there’s more to the story than meets the eye.

Narges’s life took a turn for the worst when she found herself charged with involuntary manslaughter.

In 2014, Narges arranged a one-day field trip for her children in which a couple, who both worked for the school, decided to bring along their healthy 5-year-old son for the excursion as well.

Their son was not part of the school children.

In an unfortunate accident that Narges and no one else but the parents witnessed, the couple’s boy fell into the river and was swept away.

Surprisingly, to this day the body of the boy has not been recovered from the water, adding more to the mysterious incident.

Greed and pressure by ASSIST made the couple lodge a complaint against Narges, accusing her of throwing their child in the river and murdering him.

“They made up the story in the hope that they would receive a hefty compensation from me.”

Since two years, Narges’s life has turned into a nightmare. She has been in and out of court rooms for a crime she never committed.

However, social media played a pivotal role in disseminating the news of the Iranian-British girl, particularly in Iran, causing a huge public outcry.

As Narges’s story went viral, the Iranian Consul General in Heydarabad, Hassan Nourian, was among the first Iranian authorities to reach out to her.

Nourian paid Narges a visit in Rayagada and joined her in one of her court hearings.

Iranian Ambassador to New Delhi Gholamareza Ansari also reached out to her by meeting Indian officials in ministry of external affairs and requesting protection for Narges from threats and harassment she had to put up with in Odisha.

Although through her help hundreds of thousands of children and families now have a better life in that country today Narges is faced with an uncertain future in India as she waits for her next round of court hearing.

Iran awaits the day that justice is observed in the Narges case, and when she is free from all the troubles and charges, gaining lawful possession of what belongs to her and her many unprivileged children.

In the end, we leave you with a powerful statement of an Indian spiritual master whom Narges reminds us all very much of.

“The good you do today, people will forget tomorrow. Do good any way.” Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Narges Kalbasi Ashtari (L) and Iranian Consul General in Heydarabad Hassan Nourian (C) in front of the court in Rayagada

In the story of Narges Kalbasi Ashtari, it was noted originally that the boy swept away in the river was blind and from Prishan children’s home. However, we found out that the boy was not blind and was not among Narges children’s home.

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“Avantage” also brought the best music award for Saba Nedai and the best sound award for Arash Qasemi, the organizers have announced.

Winners were announced during a ceremony held at Tehran’s Art Bureau on Friday during a ceremony attended by large number of cineastes.

Cinema Organization of Iran Director Hojjatollah Ayyubi and Documentary and Experimental Film Center (DEFC) Director Mohammad–Mehdi Tabatabainejad were among the officials participating at the ceremony.

Mehdi Asadi received the best short doc award for his “Friday Carpet” (highlighting the ritual of the carpet washing in Mashhad Ardehal), and the best mid-length doc award went to Mohammadreza Hafezi for “Passageless Path”.

The best research award went to “ Fight Feast” by Vahid Hosseini and Hojjat Taheri won the best cinematography award for “Birds in Shadow”.

Next, Arash Lahuti was presented with the best editor award for “Light Blue”, and the best film ward went to “Zero to Stage” by producer Mahtab Keramati.

The jury special award was presented to “Nena” by Mohammadreza Vatandust.

The winners of the international section were also honored at the ceremony.

“Bread and Tea” by Sarah Kaskas (Lebanon) won the best short doc award and the best mid-length doc award was given to “Hamja” by Mehdi Qanavati(Iran).

The jury did not selected a best long documentary in the international section.

However, the jury special award was given to “Under the Sun”, a production of Russia, Germany, Czech Republic and North Korea by director Vitaly Mansky.

The award-giving ceremony was followed by honoring Austrian specialist Professor Dr. Gerhard Freilinger, who appeared in Mostafa Razzaq-Karimi’s “Memories for All Seasons”.

“Memories for All Seasons” is an acclaimed documentary that narrates the memories of a group of Iranian soldiers wounded by Iraqi chemical weapons during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.

The 90-year-old professor, who is a specialist in plastic reconstructive surgery and treated chemically-wounded Iranian soldiers in those years, was surprised at the ceremony and said he did not expect to be honored.

He expressed hope that there not be any more war and wished for more peace and friendship./ Tehran Times

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Charsou Cineplex is currently hosting the 33rd Tehran International Short Film Festival (TISFF) from 8-14 November, 2016.

The festival director is Farid Farkhondehkish and the poster features the late Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami.

Jury members for the international section include Khosro Sinai from Iran, Julliette Duret from Belgium, Anna Henckel from Germany, Shubhra Gupta from India, and Jukka Pekka Lakso from Finland.

The festival hosts 25 foreign guests from Colombia, Turkey, Iraq, Germany, Finland, Belgium, India, Tajikistan, Austria, Switzerland, Poland and Japan.

Iranian Youth Cinema Society (IYCS) organizes Tehran International Short Film Festival (TISFF) annually in Autumn. It is one of the oldest film festivals not only in Iran but also in the region. The festival has been the host of the International well-known festival directors and cineastes from around the world. In 2014 the festival had received almost 3000 films from 104 countries and in 2015 it reached to 3601 films from 108 countries around the world.

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