TEHRAN – “Bab Bara”, a play by Nima Imanzadeh from the northwestern Iranian city of Sanandaj, won the grand prix of the official competition of the 39th Fajr Theater Festival, while Imanzadeh was named the best director for his play.

Winners of different sections of the festival were honored last Tuesday at Vahdat Hall during a closing ceremony attended by Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyyed Abbas Salehi and the winners.

Ayeh Kianpur and Sorush Taheri received the best actress and actor awards for their roles in “Sagdo”, while Mohammad Charmshir was named the best playwright for the play.

“Jaleh Ambush” by Hamed Mokammeli received the special jury award. 

The ceremony was followed by honoring the winners in the Soldier of the Revolution section.

Najmeh Mehrabi Khuzani and Puya Emami received the best actress and actor awards for their roles in “Life with the Taste of Gunpowder” by Mojtaba Khalili.

Saeid Badini was named the best director for the play “General”, while the play was honored as the top play of the Soldier of the Revolution section.

Mehdi Ziaian was selected as best director for “Roof Battle”, which also brought Mohammad-Hadi Atai the award for best actor.

Arman Mirzaim the young adult actor of the play “Bodies” by director Alireza Marufi was also honored for his powerful performance by the director of Iran’s Dramatic Arts Center, Qader Ashena.

The ceremony continued with paying tribute to the nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was assassinated in a terrorist attack in a region near Tehran last November.
 
A video depicting Fakhrizadeh’s sons speaking about their father’s interest in Iranian art and music was screened at the ceremony.

Photographer Akhtar Tajik, critic Homayun Aliabadi, and actors Bahram Ebrahimi and Jamshid Davarpanah were honored with lifetime achievement awards.

The ceremony was brought to an end with a live Azarbaijani music performance by Vahid Asadollahi and his sons.

Photo: Organizers of the 39th Fajr Theater Festival pay tribute to nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh during the closing ceremony of the event at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall on February 8, 2021. (ILNA/Alireza Ramezani) 

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