Resistance filmfest to honor late filmmaker Rasoul Mollaqolipour

The 16th edition of the Resistance International Film Festival (RIFF) has scheduled to honor innovative filmmakers with an award named after the late filmmaker Rasoul Mollaqolipour.

The festival organizers announced on Sunday “The award has been launched in memory of Rasoul Mollaqolipour in order to encourage directors to bring innovations to their films on the Islamic Revolution and the Sacred Defense [Iraq-Iran war]”.

A team of experts will review all movies produced by Iranian filmmakers during the past 40 years to select the first winner of the award this year.

Born in 1955, the late film director, producer and screen writer Mollaqolipour began his career as a photographer and made his directorial debut with the 16mm feature film ‘Neinava’.

He directed a number of movies, including ‘A Barge to the Shore’, ‘The Horizon’, ‘Majnoon’, ‘The Refugee’, ‘The Survivors’, ‘A Trip to Chazabeh’, ‘Help Me’, ‘Heeva’, ‘The Burnt Generation’, ‘Poisonous Mushroom’, and ‘My Father's Farm’ which mostly deal with the eight-year Iraqi-imposed war and its aftermath.

His film ‘Flight at Night’ (1986) received the Best Film Award at the 5th Fajr International Film Festival.

‘Heeva’ received the Crystal Simorgh for Best Directing and Best Film at the 17th Fajr Film Festival.

His movie ‘M for Mother’ (2006) was a huge and was selected to represent Iran in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 2008 Oscars.

Mollaqolipour passed away in 2007 after a heart attack.

The 16th RIFF will also dedicate a special section to films on health workers.

The category titled ‘Health Defenders’ has been established in honor of the medical workers on the front line of fighting against COVID-19.

An exhibition of photos and posters on the medical staff will also be held on the sidelines of the event.

Those interested in taking part at the national competitions, which will be held on September 21-27, can register at the festival’s website. The registration opened on June 9 and will continue until August 20.

Meanwhile, the online registration for the international competitions taking place on November 21-27, opened on June 9 and will continue until September 26.

A number of conferences will also be held on the sidelines of the festival.

The RIFF, one of the most prestigious international film festivals in Iran, is dedicated to productions on wars and the repercussions of armed conflicts in the world.

It also puts a spotlight on the resistance of the Palestinian people against the Zionist regime, Daesh and their terrorist attacks in the region, and the world’s tyrants and their backing of Daesh.

MG/MG