27th Fajr International Film Festival


The 27th Fajr International Film Festival held from 31 January to 10 February 2009 in Tehran, Iran.
Doubt — which adapted from Shakespeare's Hamlet — was the festival's best film in "Competition of Iranian Cinema" and Snow, a Bosnian film, was the festival's best film in "Competition of International Cinema".

Competition of Iranian Cinema

Tributes

Opening ceremony of the festival's Competition of Iranian Cinema took place on 30 January 2009, at the Milad Tower in Tehran, Iran beginning at 7:45 p.m. IRST.
Following individuls tributed by Golden Plaque:
Winners of Crystal Simorgh are listed first, highlighted in boldface and indicated with a double dagger.
Winners of secondary awards are listed second, highlighted in boldface and indicated with a dagger.

  • No winner
  • * – Ali Zareʿ
  • * ' – Mahsa Ghabaei and Leila Miri
  • * ' – Heidar Rezaei
  • No winner
  • * – Amir-Sheiban Khaghani
  • * The Song of Sparrows – Behzad Khorshidi
  • * ' – Hamid-Reza Es'haghi
  • No winner
  • * – Amir-Sheiban Khaghani
  • * Invitation –
  • * The Song of Sparrows –
  • * –

    • Contending for Simorgh

    Closing ceremony of the festival's Competition of Iranian Cinema took place on 10 February 2009, at the Ministry of Interior Hall in Tehran, Iran beginning at 7:25 p.m. IRST. The ceremony was televised by IRIB.
    Awards and nominations of the Competition of Iranian Cinema sections are below:
    ;Golden Simorgh

    • –, producer
    • * –, producer
    • * – Hassan Kalami, producer
    ;Audience Choice

    Main Competition


  • Asghar Farhadi – About Elly
  • * Abdolreza Kahani –
  • * Hassan Fathi – '
  • * Varuzh Karim-Masihi – Doubt
  • * Tahmineh Milani – '
  • * Bahram Beyzai – '
  • – and Farid Mostafavi
  • * ' – Abdolreza Kahani and
  • * Doubt – Varuzh Karim-Masihi
  • * About Elly – Asghar Farhadi
  • * ' – Tahmineh Milani
  • * ' – Parviz Shahbazi
  • Doubt – Varuzh Karim-Masihi, based on Hamlet by William Shakespeare
  • Shahab Hosseini –
  • * Parviz Parastui – '
  • * Shahab Hosseini – About Elly
  • * Masoud Rayegan – '
  • * Mohammad-Reza Foroutan – '
  • Leila Hatami – Penniless
  • * Taraneh Alidoosti – Doubt
  • * Baran Kosari – About Elly
  • * – '
  • * – '
  • Alireza Khamseh –
  • * Hamed Komeili – Doubt
  • * Saber Abar – About Elly
  • * Kambiz Dirbaz – '
  • * – '
  • Mahtab Keramati –
  • * Merila Zarei – About Elly
  • * Pegah Ahangarani – '
  • * Tannaz Tabatabaei – '
  • * Leyla Zareh – '
  • – Morteza Poursamadi
  • * ' – Saʿed Nikzat
  • * Doubt –
  • * About Elly – Hossein Jafarian
  • * ' – Alireza Zarrindast
  • – Bahram Beyzaei and
  • * ' –
  • * About Elly – Hayedeh Safiyari
  • * Doubt – Varuzh Karim-Masihi
  • * ' –
  • – Karen Homayounfar
  • * ' –
  • * ' –
  • * ' – Nasser Cheshmazar
  • * ' – Mohammad-Reza Darvishi
  • About Elly – Mohammad-Reza Delpak
  • * ' –
  • * Doubt – Parviz Abnar
  • * ' – Mani Hashemian
  • * ' – Parviz Abnar
  • – and Iraj Raminfar
  • * ' – Asghar Nejad-Imani
  • * Doubt –
  • * ' –
  • * ' – Mohsen Ahangarani
  • – Saeid Malekan
  • * ' – Saeid Malekan
  • * Doubt –
  • * About Elly – Mehrdad Mirkiani
  • * ' –
  • –
  • * ' – Abbas Shoghi
  • * ' – Javad Sharifi-Rad
  • * ' – Javad Sharifi-Rad
  • Where Is Fatemeh's House? –
  • * Dream's Keys – Sara Namjoo
  • * Old Men Never Die – Reza Jamali
  • * Solitude – Mehrdad Sheikhan
  • * Water Quatrains – Shahram Alidi
    • ;Non-nomination Crystal Simorgh

    • ' – Parviz Shahbazi, producer
    ;Films with multiple nominations and awards
    The following 12 films received multiple nominations:
    NominationsFilm
    11Doubt
    11About Elly
    8'
    6'
    6'
    5'
    5'
    5'
    3'
    3'
    3'
    2'

    The following 5 films received multiple awards:
    AwardsFilm
    3'
    2Doubt
    2About Elly
    2'
    2

    New Vision


    • – Hossein Haghgoo, producer
    • * ' – and, producers
    • * Penniless –, producer
    • * Doubt –, producer
    • * ' – Hassan Kalami, producer
  • Varuzh Karim-Masihi – Doubt
  • * Saman Estaraki –
  • * Hassan Fathi – '
  • * Shalizeh Arefpour – '
  • * Mohammad-Reza Rahmani – '
  • * and
    • – '

    ;Non-nomination Crystal Simorgh

    • – and, producers
    ;Non-nominated Honorary Diploma:
    ;Additional Honorary Diploma:

    • Zeynab – Alireza Tavana and IRIB TV2, producers
    • * Water and Mirror – Kiumars Pourahmad, producer
    • * White Piece's Move – Alireza Abolghaseminejad and Sima film, producers
    • * The Fifth Killer – Manouchehr Zebardast, producer
    • * Mikaʿil – Karamat Pourshahsavari, producer
  • Jamshid Bahmani – Mikaʿil
  • * – Water and Mirror
  • * Shahram Mokri – Ashkan, the Charmed Ring and Other Stories
  • * Alireza Tavana – Zeynab
  • * – Mangrove
    • ;Non-nominated Honorary Diploma:

    • Unfinished Picture: Bahman Jalali – Touraj Rabbani, producer
    • * This House Is Bright – Mahmoud Abdollahi, producer
    • * My Heart Bleeds for Iran – Javad Mir-Hashemi and, producers
  • How Green Was Our Valley –, producer
  • * Frozen Bubble – and Amir Joghataei, producers
  • * Who Is That Man? – Mahnaz Rokni, producer
  • * Square Without A Fence –, producer
  • * The Noise – Babak Majidi, producer
    • ;Non-nominated Honorary Diploma:
    The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers.

    Presenters

    Performers

    Competition of International Cinema

    Closing ceremony of the festival's Competition of International Cinema took place on 3 February 2009, at the Vahdat Hall in Tehran, Iran beginning at 7:35 p.m. IRST.

    World Panorama

    "World Panorama" is the main section of competition of International Cinema.
    ;Audience Choice

    • – Bahram Beyzai

  • Aida Begić – Snow
  • * –
  • – and Kenan Görgün
  • Tsilla Chelton, Derya Alabora and Ovul Avkiran – Pandora's Box
  • The Divine Weapon – Kim Yoo-jin, director
  • – David Dusa
  • Why Dogs Hate Cats? – Lida Fazli
    • ;Non-nomination Crystal Simorgh

    Seeking the Truth

    "Seeking the Truth" section also known as "Competition of Spiritual Cinema". This section organized to emphasize cinema's incomparable capacity for depiction of the transcendental realms. Films which guide viewers to spiritual values and foster elevated human characteristics entered in this section.

  • Juan Antonio Bayona – The Orphanage
  • ' –
    		• -
    ;Additional Honorary Diploma:
    "Eastern Vista" section also known as "Competition of Asian Cinema". This section organized to promote film art and industry in Asian countries. Asia is the main core of the East, and East is not limited to a geographic concept, whereas it also includes history, culture, identity and all the shared elements of the people in this part of the world. in addition to the diversity of cultures in the Asian countries, this section also insists on the necessity of connections, unification, and cooperation of these countries. The "Special Asian Unity Prize" is created with respect to this idea and goal.

  • Barmak Akram – Kabuli Kid
  • Best Wishes for Tomorrow – Takashi Koizumi
    		• -

    Special Asian Unity Prize

    "Special Asian Unity Prize" from Asian Parliamentary Assembly awarded to:
    "Turquoise Road Prize" had no winner. The prize scheduled to the Best Film from Economic Cooperation Organization countries, jointly with ECO Cultural Institute.

    Path of the Prophets

    "Path of the Prophets" section awarded "Interfaith Award" to:
    "Golden Banner" in memorial of deceased Syrian director Moustapha Akkad, designed in order to persuade that part of the world cinema which has a respectful look at Islam and its greatness. The prize awarded to:
    Special Screenings, retrospectives and memorials

    Ceremony information

    The Kingdom of Solomon removed from the festival's list of accepted films, due to incompleteness of post-production processes.
    One of the most controversial events of the Iranian cinema's passed year was Golshifteh Farahani's appearance in Body of Lies. Because of her performance in a Hollywood film, Asghar Farhadi's About Elly faced preventing its screening at the Fajr International Film Festival. At last, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stepped in and ordered the removal of the obstacles.
    Bahram Beyzai's awarded by main prizes of the Fajr International Film Festival while many of his plays and scripts had rejected for production permit by government, after the revolution.

    Footnotes