‘Azar’, ‘Domesticated Killer’ lose chance for Fajr Audience Award

Two Iranian films ‘Azar’ and ‘Domesticated Killer’ have been eliminated from the list of most popular flicks at Fajr Filmfest.

The elimination was due to the movies failing to be included among most popular films at Fajr Film Festival, the PR office of the festival made the announcement on Thursday.

Ali Ashtiani, head of Fajr Film Festival Audience Award section was also quoted by the media as saying that “all 44 films present at the Iran Cinema Perspective of the festival must be on the screening schedules of popular cinemas for at least one showtime during the first three days of the Festival,” adding that ‘Azar’ and ‘Domesticated Killer’ failed to meet such requirement.

A total of 42 movies managed to be screened at popular cinema halls for at least once, the festival official said, adding that the final version for the two movies were not ready to be shown in the selected cinema halls of Fajr Festival, Ashtiani noted.

‘Azar’ and ‘Domesticated Killer’ have been directed Mohammad Hamzei and Masoud Kimiaee, respectively. The former is Iranian actress Niki Karimi’s second production after ‘Night Shift’. Karimi has directed three other movies so far.

Reports say that noted Iranian director Masoud Kimiaee made his latest movie in the memory of late Iranian director, Abbas Kiarostami, who passed on in 2016. Kiarostami was honored with numerous tributes from distinguished figures and major festivals in the world of art and cinema.  

Fajr Festivals are held annually in Iran during the Fajr Decade (literally meaning ten days of dawn), which marks the anniversary of the ten days from the return of Imam Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic, to Iran (February 1) until the victory day of the Islamic Revolution (February 11) in 1979.

Established in 1982, the Fajr International Film Festival celebrates cultural exchange, displays creative achievements of highly acclaimed cineastes and pays tribute to local and international films.

Since its establishment, the Fajr Film Festival has played a vital role in the development of Iranian Cinema.

Supervised by Iran’s Ministry of Culture, the festival hosts veteran directors and new filmmakers from Iran and across the world every year.

The screening sessions will last for 8 days from January 29 to February 9.

AG/AG