TEHRAN – The closing ceremony of the 18th Resistance International Film Festival was held at Vahdat Hall on Saturday night, honoring the winners in various categories.

Speaking at the ceremony, the festival’s secretary Jalal Ghaffari opened the event by stating: "Tonight marks the conclusion of the 18th edition of the festival. Thanks to the efforts of the people who organized it over seventeen editions, the festival has reached this stage."

"Throughout the festival, I kept pondering why the Resistance Festival’s awards are significant for artists. The value is not monetary; rather, it’s rooted in the goals and ideals it represents," he added. 

"In the international section, works from Tunisia, Argentina, Russia, Iraq, and others were submitted. Over 3,500 films were received in total. All registration and judging phases were smoothly managed through an organized system," he explained. 

"The number of submissions nearly doubled, inspired by the events following the Al-Aqsa Storm, which sensitized our artists to the power of resistance as a unifying force between people and art,” he mentioned. 

Resistance is a voice heard by freedom-loving people worldwide, he noted.

Ghaffari also expressed hope that the festival’s closing would mark a bright beginning, emphasizing the importance of continuously speaking about and creating films on resistance.

In the main section of the festival, wartime drama "Majnoon," which centers on Martyr Major General Mahdi Zeinoddin received multiple awards, including Best Directing for Mehdi Shamohammadi, Best Actor for Sajjad Babai, and Best Resistance Film for producer Abbas Naderan. In the Film Music category, the Best Music Award went to Majid Entezami for "Majnoon." Additionally, "Majnoon" secured Best Set Design for Behzad Jafari and Best Cinematography for Saeid Barati. 

“Majnoon” also received the Jury Special Award. Produced by Owj Arts and Media Organization, the film centers on the courageous actions of Mehdi Zeinoddin, one of the notable martyrs of Iran who rose to leadership at a young age during the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1989), particularly on Majnoon Island during the Khaybar operation.

The film “North by Southwest” by Hamid Zargarnejad was recognized with Best Editing awarded to Majid Taromi, along with the Best Screenplay shared by Zargarnejad, Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, and Mohammad Javad Eslami. Behnaz Jafari earned an honorable mention for Best Actress for her role in the film.

Set against the backdrop of the Iran-Iraq War, “North by Southwest” follows Mahdi, a security officer tasked with solving the mysterious disappearance of a truck carrying explosives. His investigation leads him to Majid, an enigmatic and ambiguous figure, and a clandestine group led by Zohreh, operating deep within the northern forests. Despite their outward religious piety, the group is involved in destructive sabotage activities. 

"Hoor's Tears" by Mehdi Jafari saw Roya Afshar honored with the Best Actress Award, while " The Heart of Raqqah" by Kheirollah Taqianipour received an honorable mention for Best Actor for Shahram Haqiqatdoost.

“Kianoush's Garden” earned Reza Keshavarz the Best First-Time Director award, while the Best Film Award was given to “North by Southwest”.

In the international section of the festival, the Best Long Documentary award was given to "From Balkhab’s Land" by Zohreh Fazeli from Afghanistan.

The Best Short Fiction Film award was presented to "Al-Ahd" by Morteza Jassem from Iraq.

The festival’s badge was awarded to Seyyed Ahmad Mousavi, producer at Qaf Institute, Iraq.

The Best Medium-Length Documentary was awarded to "Thalalath Farshad" by Hassan Khalifa from Lebanon.

A certificate of appreciation went to the Syrian documentary "Maktoub" by Fatemeh Ghorban.

The Best Long Documentary award went to "Artoum Sumo" from Russia.

The Best Short Fiction award was given to "Shared Sky" by Seyyed Fahim Haider from Pakistan.

In the national documentary section, "Bano" produced by Mohammad Habibi Mansour, received Martyr Avini badge. The badge is given to films that align with the perspective of Martyr Avini.

The best documentary director award went to Seyyed Mostafa Seyedalhosseini for "Seven Years Here."

Ehsan Sabori received the best short documentary director award for "Last Farewell."

The best research award was presented to Farshad Ektesabi for "The Bottom Line."

A special jury prize was awarded to "One Square Meter of Soil," directed by Nima Mahdian.

The award for best director of a feature documentary in the Without Israel section went to "The Man of Victory" by Mojtaba Minavand.

The best short documentary director award in the same section was given to "Yahya’s Dream" by Hossein Elham.

In the main documentary category, the Best Feature Documentary award was given to "Before I Forget You" by Abdolreza Nematollahi.

The best director of a feature documentary went to "Bano" directed by Mohammad Habibi Mansour.

The Best Short Documentary award was given to "Angels" by Mehdi Zamanpour Kiasari.

The Best Research Award was presented to Hassan Naqashi for "Written."

The Best Artistic Achievement awards were shared by Saeid Houshmand and Ali-Mohammad Khaniki for the documentary "The Rainy Story."

The Best Editing Award went to Amir Chabahari for "Yahya’s Dream."

The Jury Special Award for this section was granted to "I Love Muhammad Hossein," directed by Seyyed Mohammad Mohammadi Seresht.

The Association of the Revolution and Sacred Defense Cinema and the Revayat Foundation organize Resistance International Film Festival annually.

The festival is a vital platform for the promotion and dissemination of cinematic works that embody the spirit of resistance against injustice, oppression, and inequality. 

Photo: Iranian musician Majid Entezami (second from right) with his award for best music at the closing ceremony of the 18th Resistance International Film Festival in Tehran, May 24, 2025.

SAB/