TEHRAN -- Which films will receive a Crystal Simorgh from Iran’s most important cinematic and cultural event of the year, the Fajr International Film Festival this year, and who will take the awards home?

Prominent Iranian filmmakers will be screening their new productions at the 29th edition of the festival with the hope of taking home greater numbers of the Crystal Simorgh, the major award of the festival.
Ebrahim Hatamikia, the most highly regarded filmmaker of the Islamic Revolution era with two Crystal Simorghs for “The Glass Agency” and “In the Name of the Father” at the 16th and 24th Fajr festival, will be bringing his new movie “Report of a Celebration.”
“Report of a Celebration”, with its new social concept highlighting Iranian women in the society, is expected to capture awards for Merila Zarei and Roya Teimurian for their significant roles.
Award-winning “Salve” by Alireza Davudnejad won the best actress award in the Asia Africa section of the 7th Dubai International Film Festival. The movie is expected to be one of the most award-winning in the festival this year.
Stage director and actor Hassan Majuni should have a great opportunity for a best actor award in the new production by the Iranian director of the box-office hit “Lizard” Kamal Tabrizi.
Majuni and Iranian actress-cum-director Niki Karimi are appearing in Tabrizi’s “Peaceful Streets”, a social drama shot in Armenia.
Tabrizi is also bringing a second movie to the festival named “Treasure of the East” that takes a glance at Japanese culture.
The return of Rasul Sadr-Ameli with “Life with Closed Eyes” and “Night and an Oath of Loneliness” might increase the chances for a Crystal Simorgh for the director and stars Hamed Behdad and Taraneh Alidusti.
Masud Kimiaii’s “Crime” could receive different reactions from the jury; it might even be ignored like Kimiaii’s previous productions.
“A Sugar Cube” by Reza Mirkarimi could be a sweet thing for the director winning him several awards.
And if “Separation of Nader and Simin” by Silver Bear winning filmmaker Asghar Farhadi can be completed within the next few days, it may warm up the entire festival with lots of awards.
Other entries include “Here without Me” by Bahram Tavakkoli, “Final Whistle” by Niki Karimi, “End of the 8th Street” by Alireza Amini, “Saadatabad” by Maziar Miri and “Mr.Yusef” by Ali Rafiei.
But after all, several unexpected movies by unknown directors might come on the scene and scoop up the awards, leaving all the rest empty handed.
The 29th edition of the festival will run from February 5 to 15 at Tehran’s Milad Tower.
Photo: Merila Zarei (R) and Behruz Shoeibi in a scene from “Report of a Celebration” by director Ebrahim Hatamikia