TEHRAN – Acclaimed Iranian documentary “Starless Dreams” directed by Mehrdad Oskui received the special jury award for the best international documentary at the 6th Antenna Documentary Film Festival, which was held in Sydney, Australia from October 11 to 16. 

The film, which has been acclaimed at several international festivals, shows the lives of seven young teenage girls sharing temporary quarters at a rehabilitation and detention center on the outskirts of Tehran. 

The best international documentary award of the festival went to “Behemoth” by Chinese director Zhao Liang and the award for the best Australian documentary was given to “Mother with a Gun” by Jeff Daniels.

The festival also paid tribute to recently deceased Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami by screening his 1990 masterwork “Close-Up”.

“Close-Up” is a documentary drama about Hossein Sabzian’s real-life impersonation of the famous Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf and lying his way into the life of a family.

ABU/YAW