27th Fajr International Film Festival explained

27th Fajr International Film Festival
Opening:	Every Night, Loneliness
Location:	Tehran, Iran
Founded:	1983
Awards:	Crystal Simorgh Golden Simorgh
Editor In Chief:	^[1]
Number:	277 128 (Iranian films) 149 (foreign films)
Language:	Persian, English
Preceded By:	26th
Followed By:	28th
Main:	Fajr International Film Festival

The 27th Fajr International Film Festival (Persian: بیست و هفتمین جشنواره بین‌المللی فیلم فجر) held from 31 January to 10 February 2009 in Tehran, Iran.

Doubt (Varuzh Karim-Masihi, 2009) — which adapted from Shakespeare's Hamlet — was the festival's best film in "Competition of Iranian Cinema" and Snow (Aida Begić, 2008), a Bosnian film, was the festival's best film in "Competition of International Cinema".

Competition of Iranian Cinema

Tributes

Opening ceremony of the 's Competition of Iranian Cinema
Date:	30 January 2009
Site:	Milad Tower
Host:	Mohammad-Reza Foroutan^[2]
Producer:	Morteza Razzaq-Karimi
Director:	Majid Barzegar
Most Wins:	(1) Three Women (1)
Most Nominations:	(2) Three Women (2)
Channel:	IRIB TV2
Duration:	3 hours, 15 minutes

Opening ceremony of the festival's Competition of Iranian Cinema took place on 30 January 2009, at the Milad Tower in Tehran, Iran beginning at 7:45 p.m. IRST.^[2]

Following individuals tributed by Golden Plaque:^[2]

• Ebrahim Hatamikia  – Filmmaking occupations: director and screenwriter
•  – Filmmaking occupations: producer and special effects supervisor
• Deceased Khosrow Shakibai  – Filmmaking occupations: actor
• Rasul Sadr Ameli  – Filmmaking occupations: producer, director and screenwriter
• Mahmoud Kalari  – Filmmaking occupations: cinematographer

Advertisement Competition

Winners of Crystal Simorgh are listed first, highlighted in boldface and indicated with a double dagger .

Winners of secondary awards are listed second, highlighted in boldface and indicated with a dagger .^{[3] [4]}

– Ali Bagheri Three Women  – Amir ʿAbedi As Simple as That  – Ali Tabrizi  – Ali Zareʿ	No winner  – Ali Zareʿ  – Mahsa Ghabaei and Leila Miri  – Heidar Rezaei
No winner Three Women  – Amir-Sheiban Khaghani The Song of Sparrows  – Behzad Khorshidi  – Hamid-Reza Es'haghi	No winner  – Amir-Sheiban Khaghani Invitation  – The Song of Sparrows  –  –

Contending for Simorgh

Closing ceremony of the 's Competition of Iranian Cinema
Date:	10 February 2009
Site:	Ministry of Interior Hall
Producer:	Morteza Razzaq-Karimi
Director:	Majid Barzegar
Best Film:	Doubt
Most Wins:	(3)
Most Nominations:	Doubt and About Elly (11)
Channel:	IRIB TV2
Duration:	3 hours, 30 minutes^[5]

Closing ceremony of the festival's Competition of Iranian Cinema took place on 10 February 2009, at the Ministry of Interior Hall in Tehran, Iran beginning at 7:25 p.m. IRST.^[6] The ceremony was televised by IRIB.

Awards^[7] and nominations^{[8] [9] [10] [11]} of the Competition of Iranian Cinema sections are below:

Golden Simorgh

–, producer  –, producer  – Hassan Kalami, producer

Audience Choice

Penniless  –, producer About Elly  – Asghar Farhadi, producer

Main Competition

Doubt  –, producer  – Pouran Derakhshandeh, producer  –, producer About Elly  – Asghar Farhadi, producer  –, producer  – Bahram Beyzai, producer	Asghar Farhadi  – About Elly Abdolreza Kahani  – Hassan Fathi  – Varuzh Karim-Masihi  – Doubt Tahmineh Milani  – Superstar Bahram Beyzai  –
– and Farid Mostafavi  – Abdolreza Kahani and Doubt  – Varuzh Karim-Masihi About Elly  – Asghar Farhadi Superstar  – Tahmineh Milani  – Parviz Shahbazi	Doubt  – Varuzh Karim-Masihi, based on Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Shahab Hosseini  – Superstar Parviz Parastui  – Shahab Hosseini  – About Elly Masoud Rayegan  – Mohammad-Reza Foroutan  –	Leila Hatami  – Penniless Taraneh Alidoosti  – Doubt Baran Kosari  – About Elly  –  –
Alireza Khamseh  – Hamed Komeili  – Doubt Saber Abar  – About Elly Kambiz Dirbaz  –  –	Mahtab Keramati  – Merila Zarei  – About Elly Pegah Ahangarani  – Tannaz Tabatabaei  – Leyla Zareh  –
– Morteza Poursamadi  – Saʿed Nikzat Doubt  – About Elly  – Hossein Jafarian Superstar  – Alireza Zarrindast	– Bahram Beyzaei and  – About Elly  – Hayedeh Safiyari Doubt  – Varuzh Karim-Masihi  –
– Karen Homayounfar  –  – Superstar  – Nasser Cheshmazar  – Mohammad-Reza Darvishi	About Elly  – Mohammad-Reza Delpak  – Doubt  – Parviz Abnar  – Mani Hashemian  – Parviz Abnar
– and Iraj Raminfar  – Asghar Nejad-Imani Doubt  –  –  – Mohsen Ahangarani	– Saeid Malekan  – Saeid Malekan Doubt  – About Elly  – Mehrdad Mirkiani  –
–  – Abbas Shoghi  – Javad Sharifi-Rad  – Javad Sharifi-Rad	Where Is Fatemeh's House?  – Dream's Keys  – Sara Namjoo Old Men Never Die  – Reza Jamali Solitude  – Mehrdad Sheikhan Water Quatrains  – Shahram Alidi

Non-nomination Crystal Simorgh

– Parviz Shahbazi, producer

Films with multiple nominations and awardsThe following 12 films received multiple nominations:

Nominations	Film
11	Doubt
About Elly
8
6
5
Superstar
3
2

The following 5 films received multiple awards:

Awards	Film
3
2	Doubt
About Elly

New Vision

– Hossein Haghgoo, producer  – and, producers Penniless  –, producer Doubt  –, producer  – Hassan Kalami, producer

Varuzh Karim-Masihi  – Doubt Saman Estaraki  – Hassan Fathi  – Shalizeh Arefpour  – Mohammad-Reza Rahmani  – and  –

Non-nomination Crystal Simorgh

– and, producers

Non-nominated Honorary Diploma:

• Best Director: Masoud Naghashzadeh  –

Additional Honorary Diploma:

• Best Actor: Hamed Behdad  –
• Best Actress:  –
• Best Screenplay: Penniless  – and Hadi Moghadamdoost
• Best Cinematography:  – Fereydoun Shirdel

Video-Cinema

Zeynab  – Alireza Tavana and IRIB TV2, producers Water and Mirror  – Kiumars Pourahmad, producer White Piece's Move  – Alireza Abolghaseminejad and Sima film, producers The Fifth Killer  – Manouchehr Zebardast, producer Mikaʿil  – Karamat Pourshahsavari, producer

Jamshid Bahmani  – Mikaʿil  – Water and Mirror Shahram Mokri  – Ashkan, the Charmed Ring and Other Stories Alireza Tavana  – Zeynab  – Mangrove

Non-nominated Honorary Diploma:

• Best Director: Hassan Lafafian  – White Piece's Move

Eye of the Reality

Unfinished Picture: Bahman Jalali  – Touraj Rabbani, producer This House Is Bright  – Mahmoud Abdollahi, producer My Heart Bleeds for Iran  – Javad Mir-Hashemi and, producers

How Green Was Our Valley  –, producer Frozen Bubble  – and Amir Joghataei, producers Who Is That Man?  – Mahnaz Rokni, producer Square Without A Fence  –, producer The Noise  – Babak Majidi, producer

Non-nominated Honorary Diploma:

• Best Documentary Short Film: Dahieh  – Habibollah Valinejad, producer^[12]

Presenters and performers

The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers.^[7]

Presenters

Name(s)	Role
	Presenters of the award for Best Film with National Point of View
	Presenters of the award for Audience Choice of Best Film

Performers

Name(s)	Role
	Performer of the opening ceremony
and Dastan Ensemble	Performers of the closing ceremony

Competition of International Cinema

Closing ceremony of the 's Competition of International Cinema
Date:	3 February 2009
Site:	Vahdat Hall^[13]
Producer:	Morteza Razzaq-Karimi
Director:	Majid Barzegar
Best Film:	Snow
Most Wins:	Snow (2) Pandora's Box (2)
Duration:	2 hours, 25 minutes

Closing ceremony of the festival's Competition of International Cinema took place on 3 February 2009, at the Vahdat Hall in Tehran, Iran beginning at 7:35 p.m. IRST.^{[13] [14] [15]}

World Panorama

"World Panorama" is the main section of competition of International Cinema.

Audience Choice

– Bahram Beyzai (Iran)

Snow  – Aida Begić (Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Germany and Iran)	Aida Begić  – Snow (Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Germany and Iran)  – (Iran, UAE and Germany)
– and Kenan Görgün (Belgium and France)	Tsilla Chelton, Derya Alabora and Ovul Avkiran  – Pandora's Box (Turkey)
The Divine Weapon  – Kim Yoo-jin, director (South Korea)	– David Dusa (France, Germany and Netherlands) (Live Action) Why Dogs Hate Cats?  – Lida Fazli (Iran) (Animated)

Non-nomination Crystal Simorgh

Pandora's Box  – Yeşim Ustaoğlu, director (Turkey)

Seeking the Truth

"Seeking the Truth" section also known as "Competition of Spiritual Cinema". This section organized to emphasize cinema's incomparable capacity for depiction of the transcendental realms. Films which guide viewers to spiritual values and foster elevated human characteristics entered in this section.

Every Night, Loneliness  – Rasul Sadr Ameli (Iran)	Juan Antonio Bayona  – The Orphanage (Mexico and Spain)
– (Japan)

Additional Honorary Diploma:

• Best Performance:  – Superstar (Iran)

Eastern Vista

"Eastern Vista" section also known as "Competition of Asian Cinema". This section organized to promote film art and industry in Asian countries. Asia is the main core of the East, and East is not limited to a geographic concept, whereas it also includes history, culture, identity and all the shared elements of the people in this part of the world. in addition to the diversity of cultures in the Asian countries, this section also insists on the necessity of connections, unification, and cooperation of these countries. The "Special Asian Unity Prize" is created with respect to this idea and goal.

With a Girl of Black Soil  – Jeon Soo-il (South Korea)	Barmak Akram  – Kabuli Kid (France and Afghanistan)
Best Wishes for Tomorrow  – Takashi Koizumi (Japan)

Special Asian Unity Prize

"Special Asian Unity Prize" from Asian Parliamentary Assembly awarded to:

•  – (Iran, UAE and Germany)

Turquoise Road Prize

"Turquoise Road Prize" had no winner. The prize scheduled to the Best Film from Economic Cooperation Organization countries, jointly with ECO Cultural Institute.

Path of the Prophets

"Path of the Prophets" section awarded "Interfaith Award" to:

•  – Ebrahim Forouzesh (Iran)

Moustapha Akkad's Special Prize

"Golden Banner" in memorial of deceased Syrian director Moustapha Akkad, designed in order to persuade that part of the world cinema which has a respectful look at Islam and its greatness. The prize awarded to:

•  – Rashid Masharawi (Palestine, Tunisia and Netherlands)

Non-competition sections

Special Screenings, retrospectives and memorials

Ceremony information

The Kingdom of Solomon (Shahriar Bahrani, 2010) removed from the festival's list of accepted films, due to incompleteness of post-production processes.^[16]

One of the most controversial events of the Iranian cinema's passed year was Golshifteh Farahani's appearance in Body of Lies (Ridley Scott, 2008). Because of her performance in a Hollywood film, Asghar Farhadi's About Elly faced preventing its screening at the Fajr International Film Festival. At last, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stepped in and ordered the removal of the obstacles.^[17]

Bahram Beyzai's awarded by main prizes of the Fajr International Film Festival while many of his plays and scripts had rejected for production permit by government, after the revolution.

Footnotes

Sources

• Book: Burnett . Mark Thornton . 'Hamlet' and World Cinema . 2019 . . 978-1-107-13550-5.
• Book: Esfandiary . Shahab . Iranian Cinema and Globalization: National, Transnational, and Islamic Dimensions . 2012 . Intellect . Bristol . 978-1-84150-470-4.

External links

• (English)
• (Persian)
  • 27th Fajr International Film Festival on SourehCinema (in Persian)

Notes and References

1. News: Anari . Elham . fa:نشست خبری جشنواره فیلم فجر . Fajr Film Festival press conference . Hamshahri Online . https://www.hamshahrionline.ir/news/73424/ . 19 January 2009 . Persian.
2. News: fa:آغاز جشنواره بیست و هفتم با پنج بزرگداشت و چند اتفاق هیجان‌انگیز . The 27th festival begins with five tributes and some exciting happenings . . https://www.mehrnews.com/news/825655/ . 31 January 2009 . Persian.
3. News: fa:نامزدهای بخش مواد تبلیغی و اطلاع‌رسانی جشنواره معرفی شدند . Fajr Film Festival honored two Crystal Simorgh for "Advertisement Competition" section nominations announced . . https://www.farsnews.ir/news/8711091200/ . 28 January 2009 . Persian.
4. News: fa:اهدای دو سیمرغ در بخش مواد تبلیغی جشنواره فیلم فجر . Festival's "Advertisement Competition" section . . https://www.mehrnews.com/news/825700/ . 30 January 2009 . Persian.
5. Web site: fa:بی‌پولی و درباره الی بهترین فیلم‌های جشنواره از دیدگاه تماشاگران . Penniless and About Elly elected as best films of the festival by audience choices . http://iranfestivals.ir/sn/news/pt/full/id/266 . Iran Fstivals . https://web.archive.org/web/20090417205315/http://www.iranfestivals.ir/sn/news/pt/full/id/266 . 17 April 2009 . 10 February 2009.
6. Web site: fa:آغاز مراسم اختتامیه . Closing ceremony begins . http://iranfestivals.ir/sn/news/pt/full/id/249 . Iran Festivals . https://web.archive.org/web/20090214232931/http://iranfestivals.ir/sn/news/pt/full/id/249 . 14 February 2009 . 10 February 2009.
7. News: fa:بیست و هفت سیمرغ بلورین به برگزیدگان جشنواره بیست و هفتم اهدا شد . 27th festival winners awarded by 27 Crystal Simorgh . . https://www.mehrnews.com/news/833296/ . 12 February 2009 . Persian.
8. Web site: fa:نامزدهای سودای سیمرغ جشنواره فیلم فجر معرفی شدند . Fajr Film Festival's "Longing for the Simorgh" section nominations announced . http://iranfestivals.ir/sn/news/pt/full/id/239 . Iran Festivals . https://web.archive.org/web/20090417203523/http://iranfestivals.ir/sn/news/pt/full/id/239 . 17 April 2009 . 9 February 2009.
9. Web site: fa:معرفی نامزدهای دریافت سیمرغ بلورین بخش "نگاه نو" جشنواره فجر . Fajr Festival's "New Vision" section nominations announced . http://iranfestivals.ir/sn/news/pt/full/id/233 . Iran Festivals . https://web.archive.org/web/20090214232826/http://iranfestivals.ir/sn/news/pt/full/id/233 . 14 February 2009 . 9 February 2009.
10. Web site: fa:نامزدهای جایزه بهترین آثار ویدیویی جشنواره فیلم فجر معرفی شدند . Fajr Film Festival's "Video-Cinema" section nominations announced . http://iranfestivals.ir/sn/news/pt/full/id/208 . Iran Festivals . https://web.archive.org/web/20090214232621/http://iranfestivals.ir/sn/news/pt/full/id/208 . 14 February 2009 . 7 February 2009.
11. Web site: fa:نامزدهای دریافت سیمرغ بلورین بهترین فیلم کوتاه داستانی جشنواره فیلم فجر معرفی شدند . Fajr Film Festival's "Crystal Simorgh of Best Short Filml" nominations announced . http://iranfestivals.ir/sn/news/pt/full/id/217 . Iran Festivals . https://web.archive.org/web/20090414030136/http://iranfestivals.ir/sn/news/pt/full/id/217 . 14 April 2009 . 7 February 2009.
12. Web site: fa:اسامی برندگان جوایز بخش سینمای مستند ایران (چشم واقعیت) اعلام شد . "Eye of the Reality" section winners announced . http://iranfestivals.ir/sn/news/pt/full/id/251 . Iran Festivals . https://web.archive.org/web/20090331145042/http://www.iranfestivals.ir/sn/news/pt/full/id/251 . 31 March 2009 . 10 February 2009.
13. News: fa:فردا؛ نیمی از سیمرغ‌های جشنواره پرواز می‌كنند . Half of Simorgh prizes will award tomorrow . . https://www.farsnews.ir/news/8711141747/ . 2 February 2009 . Persian.
14. News: fa:برف، بیضایی و بگیچ سیمرغ‌های بلورین را به خانه بردند . Snow, Beyzai and Begić won the awards . . https://www.mehrnews.com/news/829426/ . 5 February 2009 . Persian.
15. News: fa:یک سیمرغ بلورین تقدیم به کارگران افغانی مقیم ایران . A Crystal Simorgh dedicated to Afghani workers . . https://www.mehrnews.com/news/829426/ . 4 February 2009 . Persian.
16. News: fa:حضور ملک سلیمان در جشنواره فجر منتفی شد . Presence of The Kingdom of Solomon in the Fajr Festival was canceled . https://www.magiran.com/article/1800916 . . Persian . 7 . 1884 . 16 . 4 February 2009 . Magiran.
17. News: Ahmadinejad orders removal of obstacles for screening About Elly . . 28 January 2009.