Reza Mirkarimi to head ‘s Kim Ji-seok Award jury

The 26th edition of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in South Korea has picked Iranian filmmaker Reza Mirkarimi as the president of a jury.

The director of award-winning Iranian movies ‘Castle of Dreams’ and ‘A Cube of Sugar’ is selected to preside over the Kim Ji-seok Award Jury at the 26th BIFF.

Kazakh film scholar Gulnara Abikeyeva, the author of several books about cinema, and Korean critic Kim Haery, a founding member of the weekly film magazine CINE21, are the other member of the jury.

Born in 1966, Mirkarimi graduated in Graphic Arts from Tehran University’s College of Fine Arts.

He began his career in 1987 with a 16mm short film named ‘For Him’ followed by another 16mm production ‘A Rainy Day’ and a 35mm ‘A Rooster’.

He has also made television series such as ‘The Adventures of Mrs. Aziz’ and ‘Hemmat School Kids’.

His first feature film ‘The Child and the Soldier’ received several domestic and international awards, including a Silver Balloon Award from the Nantes Three Continents Festival, a Golden Shoe from the Children and Teenagers Festival in Zelin, and a Golden Butterfly from the Children and Teenagers Film Festival in Isfahan.

‘Under the Moonlight’ won him a Fajr Film Festival Crystal Simorgh, the Cannes Festival Critics Award for the Best Film, and Special Jury Prize from the Tokyo Film Festival for Best Director.

Mirkarimi’s third feature film, ‘Here a Shining Light’ which addresses religious and social issues received Crystal Simorghs for Best Director, Best Cinematography and the Best Actor in a Leading Role in 2002.

‘So Close, So Far’ was Mirkarimi’s fourth feature film that won Crystal Simorghs for the Best Picture and Best Cinematographer and was chosen to represent Iran at the annual Academy Awards.

‘As Simple as That’ received Crystal Simorghs for Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Picture and Best Actress in a Leading Role. The movie also received a Golden St. George at the Moscow International Film Festival and received the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the Sofia International Film Festival.

In addition to directing, he has some experience in writing, producing and editing.

The  Kim Ji-seok  Award Jury is looking for promising directors to lead the future of Asian cinema. The award was established in memory of Kim Ji-seok, the deputy director and executive programmer of the Busan festival. This prize worth $10,000 is awarded to two films.

The 26th BIFF will take place in the South Korean city of Busan on October 6-15.

Iranian films ‘Drowning in Holy Water’ by Navid Mahmoudi, and ‘The Slaughterhouse’ by Abbas Amini won the  Kim Ji-seok Award at the 25th BIFF.

‘Rona, Azim’s Mother’ by Jamshid Mahmoudi, co-produced by Afghanistan and Iran, won the award in 2018.

MG/AG