Iran's annual Fajr International Film Festival (Persian: جشنواره بینالمللی فیلم فجر), or Fajr Film Festival (little: FIFF; Persian: جشنواره فیلم فجر), has been held every February in Tehran since 1983.[1]The festival is supervised by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. It takes place on the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The awards are the Iranian equivalent to the American Academy Awards.
Organizations contributing to the event have included the Farabi Cinema Foundation, Iran film foundation, Press TV, HispanTV and Iran's multi-lingual film channel IFilm. From 2015 to 2022, the festival was separated into two festivals, a national festival in February, which was notable for premieres of the most important domestic movies, and an international one, which was being held in April.
Since 2022, the sections of national and international festivals have been merged again together and they perform their related movies from 1st to 11th of February every year.[4]
Entries into the International Competition section must not have premiered in Central Asia, Caucasia and Anatolia (with the exception of the country of origin), or the Middle East to be considered. Films entered into the competitive sections must have completion dates in the years 2019-2020, while Popular Genre Films, and Docs in Focus, and Special Screenings must have completion dates within 2018-2020. Feature films must have a running time of greater than 70 minutes, while short films must not exceed 15 minutes running time. Films cannot be submitted if they have been submitted in a previous edition of the Festival.[5]
The 38th Fajr International Film Festival offered awards at the Closing Ceremony on April 20, 2020. Awards are given for Iranian films competing in categories outlined in the FIFF Rules and Regulations,[5] which change in monetary amount from year to year.
Golden Simurgh for Best Feature Film (awarded to the film director) + 600.000.000 IRR Cash Prize (jointly to producer and director)
Silver Simurgh for Best Feature Film Director + 300.000.000 IRR Cash Prize
Silver Simurgh for Best Feature Film Script + 150.000.000 IRR Cash Prize
Silver Simurgh for Special Jury Prize for Outstanding Artistic Contribution in a Feature Film in the categories of camera, editing, music score, costume or scene design
Silver Simurgh for Best Short Film + 100.000.000 IRR Cash Prize (awarded to the film director)
17th Fajr International Film Festival (1–11 February 1999)
18th Fajr International Film Festival (1–11 February 2000)
19th Fajr International Film Festival (1–11 February 2001)
20th Fajr International Film Festival (1–11 February 2002)
21st Fajr International Film Festival (1–11 February 2003)
22nd Fajr International Film Festival (1–11 February 2004)
23rd Fajr International Film Festival (1–11 February 2005)
24th Fajr International Film Festival (20–30 January 2006)
25th Fajr International Film Festival (1–11 February 2007)
26th Fajr International Film Festival (1–11 February 2008), For the first time, all the designs and posters of this course were designed by two artists, Miranda Ansari, a graphic designer, and Elham Aiwazi, a university lecturer.
In some years, particularly when there was a coincidence with a tense political situation, the festival has faced boycotting as a state-run event. But some artists have condemned the boycotts including Reza Kianian and Rasoul Sadr Ameli. In one instance, Kianian said: "I believe we should give the people who believe in the festival the freedom to hold it. Some cannot stand their opponents but I have that capacity even when I'm in power."[20]
Four films introduced to the Academy, at the same time in the international section of Fajr Festival
The film MelodybyBehrouz Sebt Rasoul, produced in Iran and Tajikistan, as well as the film Domingo and the Mist (Ariel Escalante Meza), the film Punishment by Matías Bize, and the film FarhabyDarin J. Salam, four films that were nominated to the Academy for Oscars and at the same time participated in the 42nd Fajr International Film Festival. All four films have successfully made it to the world's prestigious A-Festival before this. The secretary of the festival was Mr. Mojtabi Amini and the manager of the international department was Mr. Raed Faridzadeh.[21][22][23][24]
