The 17th Bratislava International Film Festival announced winners on Tuesday where four major awards were presented to two Iranian movies ‘ Wednesday, May 9’ directed by Vahid Jalilvand and ‘Nahid’ by Ida Panahandeh.
Both works, first feature films by the young directors, have attended several international events and collected awards, ISNA reported.
‘Wednesday, May 9’ won the Student Jury Award and the Best Actress prize was awarded to the lead female characters Niki Karimi and Sahar Ahmadpour for two emotionally rich and completely authentic performances.
Featuring some of the basic characteristics of the new Iranian cinema, a simple everyday story told through minimalistic means of expression, the film pays tribute to the human beings who are aware of society’s suffering.
‘Nahid’ won the Best Director prize for Ida Panahandeh, for a very impressive depiction of a complicated family situation. The Best Actor prize went to Navid Mohamadzadeh for a complex and completely believable portrayal.
A film that manifests the vitality and consistency of the young generation of Iranian filmmakers, Nahid is a pioneer Iranian movie that discusses divorced women’s problems, including their right to custody of children and the issue of temporary marriage.
Established in 1999, the festival provides a platform for inspiring meetings of cinema laymen, aficionados and professionals from Slovakia as well as abroad. Its principal ambitions include cultivating the domestic film audience and adding an international context to the central European nation’s film culture and industry.
