Slemani International Film Festival opens with award for Jafar Panahi
Mansour Jahani – Teleghraph : Internationally acclaimed Iranian filmmakers, Jafar Panahi, was awarded the third Slemani International Film Festival Film’s Honorary Award in absentia.
Presided by Foad Jalal and organized by Masti Film Company and Mullah Bakhtiar the official in charge of supporting the festival, the inauguration ceremony of the gathering was attended by several well-known Iranian artists including Behzad Frahani, Mohammad Reza Aslani, head of the jury of the Competition section of long documentaries, Ravanbakhsh Sadeghi, referee of the competition section of animation films, judges of various competitions of the festival, managing director of culture and art and youth of Soleymaniyeh province, Azarakhsh Farahani Iranian actor and directors, with the performance of Ms. Lina Reza, was held at the Art Hall of Sulaimaniyah, the capital of culture and art in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
On Panahi’s behalf, the award of the festival was presented to his wife Taraneh Saeedi.
Amin Jafari the cinematographer of Panahi’s “Three Faces” and Shadmehr Rastin one of his colleague and his old friend were also attending the ceremony.
In a message to the festival, Panahi said:” I’m very happy to receive the award of the festival.”
“Thank you very much for your invitation. Mr. Panahi said in a video message what I was supposed to say,” his wife said.
Before the award ceremony for the festival, Panahi, in a special video message broadcast in the 1000-person Art Hall of the Sulaimaniyah, appreciated the organizers of the festival. “I salute and respect the people of Sulaymaniyah. I salute the artists and cinematographers in Sulaymaniyah, and in particular the organizers of the festival, which deserved me to receive such a prize.”
“I am very happy to receive the Honorary Award of the festival. I’m really glad and I say it without compliment, this festival helps cultural issues so much. An area that has always been the subject of violence.”
He said: “If I was allowed right now and I could leave my country and invite me to several festivals, I would definitely know that I would prioritize the Sulaymaniyah International Film Festival, for the reasons I said.”
“We can do great things through cinema; we can create culture, we can achieve our rights and freedoms, we can solve various issues, and different ethnicities can live together freely, and they can respect each other’s rights,” he said.
“I’m sorry that I could not come to the festival, but anyway, I’m glad that my wife is there and will represent me for this award and I want to ask Mr. Amin Jafari to accompany my wife. I want to ask Shadmehr Rastin, which in my advisor and co-founder to receive this prize on my behalf. Thank you all and wish you all the best,” Panahi concluded.
