Jalilvand, Mohammadzadeh Win Awards at Venice Film Fest

Iranian feature film ‘No Date, No Signature’ won two awards at the Horizons section of the 74th Venice Film Festival in Italy.

At the closing ceremony on Saturday, the movie bagged Best Director Award for Vahid Jalilvand and Best Actor Award for Navid Mohammadzadeh, Mehr News Agency reported.

Receiving his prize, Mohammadzadeh, 31, thanked Alberto Barbara, the festival director, and the jury of the Horizons section and said, “I am so pleased to get this award for my country.”

He had received the Crystal Simorgh for the best supporting actor at the 35th Fajr Film Festival in February in Iran, since his role in the story is below that of the leading actor Amir Aghaee. However, Mohammadzadeh’s performance in the film is so powerful that overshadows other characters, making critics praise him and convincing judges to award him.

Congratulating the film cast and crew, he addressed the lead actor Amir Aghaee, 47, and said, “Amir, this is not my prize, it belongs to both of us”.

Then pointing to Rakhshan Bani-Etemad who was sitting on stage next to other jurors, he said, “I am so delighted that the most important filmmaker in Iran’s cinema history is sitting in the jury panel. It is an honor for me to take this award from you”.

Mohammadzadeh finished his short speech saying, “what matters most for me in life is my family and that I am an Iranian”.

After Jalilvand’s name was announced as the winner of best director award, he received his prize from American-British filmmaker Ami Canaan Mann, one of the jurors. He also thanked the jury, Alberto Barbara and Katayoon Shahabi, CEO of Shahrzad Media International, who is responsible for the distribution of the film.

Appreciating the efforts of all the cast and crew, he dedicated his award to the film producer Ali Jalilvand, his brother, who “led the project to this perfect ending with his management, patience and tranquility”.

“I live in a country whose people believe when you pray for others, God first smiles at you and answers your prayers, so please pray for me that after getting this prestigious award, I do not get proud and never forget that cinema first is to make me a better person before turning me into a better filmmaker”.

‘No Date, No Signature’ competed in the Horizons section, dedicated to films representing the latest aesthetic and expressive trends in international cinema, with 18 other films from across the globe.

Jalilvand’s second feature film tells the story of a forensic doctor who one day at his office comes across a child’s body and feels responsible for his death. His debut directorial work ‘Wednesday, May 9’ won the INTERFILM award at the 72nd edition of the festival in 2015.

This year’s top prize, known as Golden Lion, went to Mexican director Guillermo Del Toro’s ‘The Shape of Water’.