ISFA lifetime achievement goes to Amir Naderi

The Iranian Short Film Association (ISFA) has honored the New York-based Iranian director Amir Naderi with a lifetime achievement award.

The honor went to the filmmaker during the closing ceremony of the 8th edition of the ISFA Independent Short Film Festival in Tehran last Tuesday.

Since the honoree could not attend the ceremony, Iranian filmmaker Anahita Ghazvinizadeh presented the award to Naderi in his office in the US.

ISFA published a video that shows Naderi expressing his thanks to the organizers of the festival. He also asked Iranian youth to watch his latest film ‘Monte’, which is currently on screen at a number of cinema theaters in Iran.

The director of the acclaimed movie ‘The Runner’ said he has no doubt that at least ten persons in Iran will follow a filmmaking career after watching his ‘Monte’.

“Your life and films reflect a diligence and forbearance to achieve great ambitions,” ISFA wrote to Naderi, adding “We have learned from you to remain independent forever, not to surrender to boundaries and think freely.”

Starring Andrea Sartoretti and Claudia Potenza, ‘Monte’ narrates the story of a man who tries to bring the sunlight into his village, where his family is barely able to survive because of the prevailing darkness.

Some of Naderi’s works include ‘Harmonica’ (1970), ‘Waiting’ (1974), ‘The Runner’ (1985), ‘Water, Wind, Soil’ (1989), ‘Sound Barrier’ (2005) and ‘Cut’ (2011).

Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award is dedicated to personalities who have made a significant contribution to contemporary cinema.

The Oscar-nominated drama ‘Timecode’ by Spanish director Juanjo Giménez grabbed the best foreign-language film award of the 8th ISFA Independent Short Film Festival.

MG/MG