The best theater actors of the year were awarded at the 12th Actor’s Festival, held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall on Monday (May 18).
Organized by the Iranian Theater Actors Association, the ceremony also honored five veteran actors, Honaronline reported.
The 80-year old actress Pari Amir-Hamzeh, the 88-year-old Ali Ramez, along with Bahman Sadeghpour and Mahin Sisipour, were actors with over 40 years of experience who received medallions from their peers.
The valuable medallion, given for the first time to the winners and honorees, depicted a historical document related to the existence of theater in Iran in 9th-7th century BC.
However, the surprise of the night was the tributes paid to the oldest actor in Iran whose name was not disclosed earlier. The actor, Parviz Shahinkhu, now 101 years old, received his medallion from another veteran Jamshid Mashayekhi. “I started my work in theater when I was 12. I have endured a lot of hardship since the very first day but I never got disappointed or lost my passion for the stage,” Shahinkhu said.
Born in Tehran in 1914, Shahinkhu began his professional career as a theater actor but later entered cinema and acted in the first Iranian silent movies by Ovanes Ohanian namely ‘Abi and Rabi’ (1930) and ‘Haji Agha, the Cinema Actor’ (1933). Since then, besides numerous plays, he has appeared in over 20 films and 20 TV series including historical serials like ‘Sarbedaran’ and ‘Imam Ali (AS)’.
Mashayekhi, 80, referred to the fact that some people who head the arts may have high status in industry or sports, but asked: “What do they have to do with theater?”
Three male and three female actors, one top actor and the best young talent received medallions.
Farzaneh Kaboli received the special jury award, and Nasim Afsharpour was introduced as the best young talent.
Actresses Elham Korda, Setareh Eskandari, and Hana Kamkar and actors Pouria Rahimi-Sam, Mohammad Ali-Mohammadi, and Ali Sarabi received the awards.
