TEHRAN – Mehdi Jafari’s acclaimed movie “23 Individuals” about 23 young Iranian volunteers who were captives during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war came in first with six awards at the National Will Manifestation Awards on Monday.

The awards are presented to those films that promote issues being pursued by some public organizations and institutes. Juries from the organizations select winners from the films screened at the Fajr Film Festival every year.

20 organizations, including the Ahl-ul- Bait World Assembly, Department of Environment, Ministry of Sports and Youth, and Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, held the National Will Manifestation Awards this year. 

The awards ceremony was held at Tehran’s Eyvan Shams Hall where Jafari received the first award for his film from the Department of Environment. 

The film’s second award was given by the Judiciary to producer Mojtaba Faravardeh for its depiction of human rights’ violation during in Iraq under Saddam Hussein.

Farvardeh and Jafari both received the third award from Ahl-ul- Bait World Assembly, and they also received the fourth from the Health Ministry.

The Ministry of Sports and Youth and the Foundation for Martyrs and War Veterans’ Affairs were other organizations that honored Jafari for the epic movie. 

“The Night When the Moon Was Full” and “6.5 for One Meter” came next each with four awards.

“The Night When the Moon Was Full” is a true love story by director Narges Abyar and producer Mohammad-Hossein Qasemi.

They received awards from the Department of Environment and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

Producer Mohammad-Hossein Qasemi (L) and director Narges Abyar accept awards for their film “The Night When the Moon Was Full” during the National Will Manifestation Awards at Tehran’s Eyvan Shams Hall on February 25, 2019. (Mehr/Hamid Vakili)

he Judiciary also honored Qasemi and the Foundation for Martyrs and War Veterans’ Affairs award Abyar for the film.

“The Night When the Moon Was Full” won the Crystal Simorgh for best movie at the 37th Fajr Film Festival early February.

The film is about Abdul-Hamid Rigi, the younger brother of Abdul-Malik Rigi, the founder and leader of the Jundallah terrorist group in southeastern Iran, who marries Faezeh Mansuri, a woman from Tehran. He forces Faezeh to leave her homeland along with her brother to live in Pakistan where they find themselves involved in Jundallah terrorist activities.

“6.5 for One Meter” by Saeid Rustai also received four awards from different organizations.

Photo: “23 Individuals” director Mehdi Jafari holds an award he received during the National Will Manifestation Awards at Tehran’s Eyvan Shams Hall on February 25, 2019. (Mehr/Hamid Vakili)RM/MMS/YAW