TEHRAN – Bulgarian director Milko Lazarov’s drama “Ága” about two Inuits that live with the dream of reuniting their family has been picked as best movie at the 36th Fajr International Film Festival.

The film that is a co-production by Bulgarian, German, and French is about Nanuk and Sedna, two Inuits who live in a yurt among the snowy fields of the north with the dream of reuniting their family. They live in the spirit of the traditions of their ancestors. When Sedna’s health gets worse and she dies, Nanuk decides to fulfill her last wish – to find their long-gone daughter Ága, who has chosen the life in the city and has forgotten their traditions.

This film was screened in the official competition of the Berlin International Film Festival this year.

The closing ceremony of the Fajr festival was organized at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall on Thursday evening as many Iranian culture officials, including the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance Abbas Salehi, as well as numerous world-renowned cineastes such Oliver Stone were in attendance.

Russian director Aleksei German received an award for “Dovlatov”, a biographical film about writer Sergei Dovlatov. This film also received the Iranian critics’ award.

The Silver Simorgh for best screenwriter was presented to Ramtin Lavvafipur for “Hat Trick”.

Leon Lucev won the Silver Simorgh for best actor for his portrayal of the miner Alija Basic in Slovenian director Hanna Slak’s “The Miner”.

This movie also earned Slak honorable mentions from the Iranian critics and the Peace Prize sections of the festival.

Iranian actress Mahur Alvand was best for her role in “Hat Trick” directed by Lavvafipur.

The special jury award went to cinematographer Richard Kendrick for his collaboration in “Song of Granite” by Pat Collins from Canada and Ireland.

“Faith” by Russian director Tatiana Fedorovskaya won the best short award in Cinema Salvation, the official competition of the event.

A jury composed of Polish director Joanna Kos-Krauze, Macedonian director Milcho Manchevski, Greek filmmaker Dimitri Athanitis, Indian director and producer Adoor Gopalakrishnan, and Italian producer Giovanni Spagnoletti, as well as cinematographer Mahmud Kalari and actress Merila Zarei from Iran judged the films in this category.

Iranian director Majid Majidi received the Muhammad al-Ameen Award for his Indian drama “Beyond the Clouds”.  The award is dedicated to films promoting Islam and human values.

In the Eastern Vista, a section dedicated to Asian cinema, three awards were presented. “Father and Son”, Vietnamese drama film directed by Luong Dinh Dung, was named best film while Iranian director Maryam Bahrololumi was honored for her drama “Patio”.

Vietnamese director Luong Dinh Dung (C) accepts the Best Film Silver Simorgh in the Eastern Vista Category for his “Father and Son” from Mohammad-Mehdi Heidarian, the director of the Cinema Organization of Iran, during the closing ceremony of the Fajr International Film Festival at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall on April 26, 2018. An unidentified person is also seen in the photo. (Fars/Mehdi Bolurian)

The award for best short film in this category went to “Pedovore” by Iranian director Mohammad Kart.

The Peace Prize, which is annually awarded to a filmmaker with movies on international problems, was presented this Year to Cambodian documentary film director and screenwriter Rithy Panh, who is also the producer of Angelina Jolie’s drama “First They Killed My Father” about the experiences of a young girl whose family was torn apart by the Khmer Rouge.

Panh received the award from Stone, the festival’s special guest.

Turkish filmmaker Semih Kaplanoglu’s “Grain”, inspired by a chapter from the Holy Quran, received the award for best film in the interreligious film section. The story of the film is set in a world in the near future, where an abrupt climate change has led to the extinction of life.

The first-film director award went to Puya Badkubeh for his debut film “Dressage”, which received a special mention in the Generation 14plus competition at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival in February.

The NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema) was presented its award to “Hendi & Hormoz” by Abbas Amini from Iran.