Iranian film producer Manoochehr Mohammadi left for Australia on Monday, November 21, where he will receive the 10th FIAPF Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film in the Asia Pacific region.
During the Cannes Film Festival in May, he was announced the recipient of the award by the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA), the region’s highest accolade in film, and the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF).
“This is the first time a producer from Iran is getting the award”, ISNA quoted Mohammadi as saying before leaving.
The award celebrates a film practitioner from the region whose career and actions contribute strongly to the development of the Asia Pacific film industry.
His ‘Under the Moonlight’ won the Critics Week Grand Prize in 2001 Cannes and his 2013 film ‘The Painting Pool’ was the recipient of the APSA 2014 UNESCO Award for outstanding contribution to the promotion and preservation of cultural diversity through the medium of film. He is a member of the prestigious APSA Academy, a growing body of over 870 of the region’s most respected filmmakers.
APSA Chairman Michael Hawkins said that the award celebrates the achievements of Mohammadi’s three decade-long career.
A renowned producer Mohammadi’s extensive film career began almost 30 years ago with the features ‘The Singer Cat’ (1987) and the comedy ‘Hey Joe!’ (1989).
Born in the southwestern city of Abadan, Mohammadi, 60, has made movies outside the country too. His 1993 Iranian box office hit ‘From Karkheh to Rhine’ was filmed in Germany, ‘Survivor’ (1996) was shot in Syria and ‘Evening of the 10th Day’ (2010) was made in Iraq.
His other productions include the comedy ‘The Lizard’ (2004) and dramas ‘M for Mother’ (2007), ‘Gold and Copper (2010), ‘Kissing the Face of the Moon’ (2011), ‘We Have a Guest’ (2014) and ‘Angels Come Together’ (2013).
His most recent film ‘Mina’s Choice’ (2016), directed by Kamal Tabrizi, had its world premiere at the Fajr Film Festival in February where it was nominated for nine awards.
Mohammadi was the managing director of Iranian Alliances of Motion Picture Guilds (Khaneh Cinema) 1999-2000 and president of Iranian Producers Association from 2009-2014.
The previous winners of the FIAPF award include famous filmmakers such as producer Zhang Yimou from China, George Miller from Australia and the late Yash Raj Chopra from India among others.
The award will be presented to Mohammadi at a ceremony in Brisbane, Queensland, on November 24.
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