Iran actor Hossein Mahjoub’s film to compete at Czech filmfest

Iran actor Hossein Mahjoub’s new movie ‘Khibula’ will compete at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) in the Czech Republic.

Georgian filmmaker George Ovashvili’s ‘Khibula’ will compete against 11 other movies in the main competition section of the Czech event, which wraps up on Saturday.

The 100-minute film is a production of Georgia, France and Germany.

‘Khibula’ tells the story of the first president of Georgia, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, who is played by Hossein Mahjoub. The former president was forced by a coup d’état to choose exile and although he returned, political clashes forced him into exile again.

The film follows the former president in the Georgian mountains, accompanied and pursued by friend and foe. Meanwhile, the circumstances of his death are still unclear.

All actors in the movie are Georgian, except Mahjoub. However, the entire cast including Mahjoub speaks Georgian in the film.

Mahjoub is a celebrated Iranian actor who won the Crystal Simorgh for Best Supporting Actor at the 17th Fajr International Film Festival in 1998 for his role in Majid Majidi’s movie ‘Color of Paradise’.

The 52nd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) is being held in the Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary from June 30 – July 8, 2017.

Iranian cineastes have so far won several awards at the previous editions of KVIFF.

Iranian director Ali Mosaffa’s ‘The Last Step’ brought him the FIPRESCI prize in 2012. Actress Leila Hatami also won the award for best actress for the film.

In 2009, Abdolreza Kahani won the Special Jury Prize at the festival for his movie ‘Twenty’.

Actor Hamid Farrokhnezhad have also won the best actor award at the 35th edition of the event in 2000 for playing in Khosrow Sinai’s ‘Bride of Fire’.

KVIFF is one of the oldest A-list film festivals and is the largest film festival in the Czech Republic and the most prestigious in Central and Eastern Europe.

Intended for both film professionals and the general public, the festival presents some 200 films from around the world, and regularly hosts famous and important filmmakers.

AI/AI