Iranian 'Mermaid' wins award in Chinese SCO festival

Iranian feature 'Mermaid' has won an award at the 1st edition of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Film Festival in China.

Directed by Amir-Masoud Aqababaeian and produced by Mohammad-Reza Arab, the film received a special jury award at the Chinese event.

'Mermaid' depicts a survivor of a diving team from Iraq-Iran war who lives beside the Persian Gulf and tries to prove that the oil companies are responsible for the water pollution in the gulf.

The film has so far attended a number of film festivals around the globe, including the 9th CMS Vatavaran International Environment and Wildlife Film Festival and Forum in India and won awards such as the Best Feature Film award at the Mediterranean Film Festival Cannes 2017 in France.

Amir Aqaee, Shahrokh Foroutanian, Sirous Kahourinezhad, Asghar Hemmat and Pantea Mehdinia are among the cast.

The other special jury awards of the SCO festival went to 'Yo’L Bo’Lsin' from Uzbekistan, 'Air Safar' from Tajikistan, 'Punjab Nahi Jaungi' from Pakistan and 'Tum-Pabi-Dum' from Belarus.

The best film award was jointly presented to 'Mina Walking' from Afghanistan and 'Enter the Forbidden City' from China.

Iranian director and writer Masud Jafari-Jozani was among the jury panel of the festival.

The first edition of the SCO has been held in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China, on June 13-17, 2018.

MG/FM