TEHRAN – The 10th edition of the Ammar Popular Film Festival (APFF) opened during a ceremony at Tehran’s Andisheh Hall on Wednesday evening. 

Winners of the sideline sections of the event were honored during the ceremony, which was attended by a number of cultural officials, artists and the families of the martyrs who lost their lives in the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war or in fighting against terrorism. 

Mohsen Enayati’s movie “Benjamin”, which is about a man named Benjamin who tries to save his mother from the king’s soldiers, received a Golden Lantern for best animated movie. “The Secret of Baba’s Pajamas”, co-directed by Hossein Jamshidi and Ali Taqvai, was named best short animated movie.  

In the TV programs section, Golden Lantern was awarded to Ali Shirzadian’s series “Matches”, and “Shahrdad” by Milad Gudarzi was named best online TV program. 

The crew of “Gando”, a docudrama that revolves around the spy case of Iranian-American journalist Jason Rezaian, was also honored during the ceremony. 

In addition, the organizers also held a poetry night entitled “Tough Revenge” on Friday evening in memory of Quds Force Commander Major General Qassem Soleimani who was martyred in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad on Friday.

Established by a number of Iranian revolutionary figures, the Ammar Popular Film Festival has been named after Ammar Yasir, a close companion of Prophet Muhammad (S).

Over 100 feature and documentary movies are being screened in the various sections of the festival, which will continue in Tehran and several other cities until January 9.

Photo: Javad Afshar (R), the director of the TV series “Gando” poses with an unidentified person after being honored during the 10th Ammar Popular Film Festival at Tehran’s Andisheh Hall on January 1, 2020.

ABU/MMS/YAW