Three veteran Iranian artists honored at Resistance filmfest

Concurrent with the closing ceremony of the 2020 Resistance International Film Festival (RIFF), three veteran Iranian artists have been honored at the event.      

Actor Jamshid Hashempour, filmmaker Jamal Shourjeh and producer Mohsen Ali Akbari have been honored for their staggering contribution to Iranian cinema at the 16th edition of the Resistance filmfest, held on September 27th, 2020.

Born in 1944, Jamshid Hashempour made his film debut in 1968 with ‘White Hell’; but his performance in ‘Weak Point’ in 1983 with a shaved head was a turning point in his acting career, drawing filmmakers’ attention to him. He, subsequently, starred in a number of movies with the same look.

Hashempour’s performance in Iraj Qaderi’s ‘Invasion’ (1984) turned him into one of Iran’s most popular actors in the 80s.

ifilm audience may remember Hashempour from ‘Face to Face’, ‘Breath’ and ‘A Passenger to Rey’.   

Jamal Shourjeh, born in 1955, is one of the Iranian filmmakers who has tied his name to the Sacred Defense and Revolution. Shourjeh, whose ‘33 Days’ was screened on ifilm English while back, has always been concerned with making works with the themes of the values of the Islamic Revolution and the Sacred Defense.  

During the Iraqi imposed war on Iran in 1980-88, Shourjeh departed to the fronts as a cameraman. He has cooperated with several films such as ‘Flying in the Night’ directed by the late Rasoul Malakalipour, ‘Objective Conditions’ directed by Ahmad Reza Garshasbi and ‘Purple Diamond’ directed by Rahim Rahimipour as an assistant director.

Mohsen Ali Akbari had produced several films and series with the genre of Sacred Defense. He believes that the cinema of Sacred Defense is not only limited to war films but contains every revolutionary trends.

Inaugurated on September 21st, the Resistance International Film Festival, coinciding with the Sacred Defence Week in Iran, is regarded as one of the most prestigious international film festivals in Iran. It aims to create an atmosphere of dialogue, understanding of current human sufferings, and to share experiences and new ideas.

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