WANA (Nov 28) – Majid Majidi Receives Special Honor at First Eurasia International Film Festival; China’s “Against the Current” Wins $1 Million Top Prize.

 

Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi received the Special Award of the inaugural Eurasia International Film Festival, while the festival’s main prize and the Best Film statuette—valued at the equivalent of $1 million—went to “Against the Current” by Chinese director Xu Zheng.

 

The ceremony, held Thursday evening in Moscow, was attended by Russian Culture Minister Olga Lyubimova, Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, and Iran’s ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali.

 

Nikita Mikhalkov, founder of the Eurasia Film Academy, presented Majidi with the festival’s Special Award and the “Brilliant Butterfly” trophy, praising the Iranian director’s body of work.

 

During his acceptance speech, Majidi emphasized his longstanding focus on children and youth in his films. He honored the memory of the suffering children of Gaza and expressed hope for a peaceful and secure world for all children affected by war, especially in Gaza.

 

Before the award was presented, scenes from Majidi’s films—especially “Muhammad: The Messenger of God”—were screened, accompanied by Iranian music, prompting a standing ovation from the audience.

 

Main Prize Awarded to China

The festival’s top honor and $1 million Best Film Award were presented to “Against the Current” by Chinese director Xu Zheng.

 

Other Winners

Each of the following winners received a statuette and a prize valued at $250,000:

  • World Cinema Award: Majid Majidi (Iran)
  • Best Actor: Aleksandr Adabashyan (Russia), “Two Lives in One, Not Counting the Dog”
  • Best Actress: Svetlana Kryuchkova (Russia), “Two Lives in One, Not Counting the Dog”
  • Best Film from Outside the Eurasia Region: “Ali Primera” (Venezuela), directed by Daniel Agüero Richard
  • Best Director: Goran Radovanović for “King of the Forest” (Serbia–Bulgaria)
  • Best Cinematography: Talant Akinbekov for “Black, Red, Yellow” (Kyrgyzstan)
  • Best Screenplay: Carol Shore for “The Righteous Old Blues” (South Africa)
  • Best Composer: Yuri Potyenko for “The Black Fortress” (Belarus)
  • Best Supporting Actor: Anvar Kartayev for “Chasing Spring” (Uzbekistan)
  • Best Supporting Actress: Sonia Hussain for “Termite” (Pakistan–Canada)
  • Best Production Design: Milish Khudaibergenov for “The Composer” (Turkmenistan)

 

According to Masoud Ahmadvand, Iran’s cultural attaché in Russia, Iran had submitted three films to the competition:
“Call me Ziba” (Rasoul Sadr-Ameli), “In the Embrace of the Tree” (Babak Khajeh-Pasha), and “My Daughter’s Hair” (Hessam Farahmand).

 

The award for Best Film Outside the Eurasia Region was presented by Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

Festival Participation and Selection Process

According to the festival secretariat, finalists were chosen from countries with shared cultural and spiritual traditions, and all selected works reflected the diversity and richness of Eurasian cinema.

 

Films were submitted from Russia, Iran, China, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Cuba, Senegal, South Africa, Pakistan, Belarus, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

 

Organizers noted that each participating country showcased films that highlighted the unique qualities and depth of its national cinema.

Majid Majidi Wins Special Award at Eurasia Film Festival

Majid Majidi Wins Special Award at Eurasia Film Festival. Social media/ WANA News Agency