TEHRAN -- The 12th edition of the Donya-ye Tasvir Cinematic and TV Films Celebration was held here on Tuesday evening at the Milad Tower where “The Santur Player” by Dariush Mehrjuii won the Golden Hafez trophy for best film.

Starring Bahram Radan and Golshifteh Farahani, “The Santur Player” is about a santur virtuoso and singer named Ali who becomes a drug addict.
In July 2010 three years after production, “The Santur Player”, which never premiered in Iran, was finally released on the Iranian home video network.
The celebration, organized annually by the Persian cinematic monthly Donya-ye Tasvir (Picture World), is Iran’s only film gala held by the private sector, awarding the best in cinema, TV and theater from the past two years.
Cineastes and fans filled the theater on Tuesday, while showering with applause those who went on stage to receive their awards. Some cineastes came to the celebration with their families.
Actor Saeid Raad, who distanced himself from Iranian cinema for about 20 years as he mentioned on stage, received the best Lifetime Achievement Award at the ceremony.
The ceremony continued with the presentation of awards to the winners by different cinematic figures and several football players who were invited on stage.
Actors Shahab Hosseini “Superstar” and “About Elly” and Hamid Farrokhnejad “In the Color of Purple” shared the best actor award.
Pop Singer Reza Yazdani continued with his songs warming up the ceremony, and left the stage amidst endless applauding and cheering by the audience.
The monthly’s managing director Ali Mo’allem also gave a brief speech asking for unity among the cineastes.
A list of the recipients of Golden Hafez trophies follows:
* Best Screenwriter: Hamed Mohammadi “Gold and Copper”
* Best Actresses: Mahnaz Afshar “Third Floor” and Merila Zarei “About Elly”
* Best Musician: Ardavan Kamkar and Mohsen Chavoshi “The Santur Player”
* Best Director: Asgahr Farhadi “About Elly”
* Best Cinematographer: Farshad Mohammadi “Aal”
* Best TV Series Director: Masud Jafari Jozani “In the Eyes of the Wind”
* Best TV Series Screenwriter: Alireza Naderi “In the Direction of Zayandehrud”
* Best Comedian: Mehran Modiri “Bitter Coffee”
* Best Comedienne: Elika Abdorrazzaqi “Bitter Coffee”
* Best Film Music: Reza Yazdani “Tehran, Teheran”
* Best TV Actresses: Behnush Tabatabaii “In the Direction of Zayandehrud” and Katayun Riyahi “Prophet Joseph (AS)”
* Best TV Actor: Amir Jafari “Under Eight”
* Best Documentary: “The Subscriber” by Loqman Khaledi
* Best Theater: “Khanumcheh and Terrace” by Hadi Marzban
* Best Artistic Achievement Award: Hamid Qadirian “The Kingdom of Solomon”
The ceremony was brought to an end at 2 past midnight.
Photo: Dariush Mehrjuii (R), the director of “The Santur Player”, holds the Golden Hafez award he won for the best film at the Donya-ye Tasvir celebration, which was held at Tehran’s Milad Tower on Tuesday. Veteran filmmaker Masud Kimiaii, who presented the award to Mehrjuii, stands to his left. (ISNA/Alireza Sotakbar)
Photo: Dariush Mehrjuii (R), the director of “The Santur Player”, holds the Golden Hafez award he won for the best film at the Donya-ye Tasvir celebration. Veteran filmmaker Masud Kimiaii, who presented the award to Mehrjuii, stands to his left. (ISNA/Alireza Sotakbar)