TEHRAN – The Iranian feature film “Muddy Foot” directed by Ebrahim Azizi was honored at the closing ceremony of the Da Nang Asian Film Festival 2025 (DANAFF III) in Vietnam on July 5.

The Best Screenplay Award of the Asian Film Section was awarded to Ladan Shirmard and Ebrahim Azizi for writing the script of “Muddy Foot,” ILNA reported.

The story of the 89-minute movie is based on true events. Masoud dies in a football match due to a foul committed by the opposing team's player, and his death is classified as a sports incident. However, his brother Musa doubts that the foul was just an accident.

With the help of Farzad, Masoud's brother-in-law, Musa discovers the operation of a betting website for football matches. This site allows betting on specific details such as the number and exact timing of fouls in a match. This leads Musa to suspect foul play in Amin's foul against his brother, as it could turn Masoud's sports incident death into a murder committed by Amin with prior intent.

Mohsen Kiaei, Hoda Zeinolabedin, Pouria Rahimi Sam, Matin Heydarinia, Hadis Biabangard, and Mohammad Bahrani are in the cast, among others.

DANAFF is an annual international film event organized by the Vietnam Cinema Development Association in collaboration with the People's Committee of Da Nang City to honor outstanding film works from Vietnam and the Asia-Pacific region. The festival includes both competitive and non-competitive film categories, prestigious awards, exchange activities, outdoor film screenings, and a “Talent Nurturing” workshop.

Compared to the previous two seasons, DANAFF III has developed quite comprehensively, both in scale, organization time, and program content. From 5 days of official operation in the previous two seasons, DANAFF III increased the official time of the film festival to 7 days. 

The total number of films screened in DANAFF III increased to 100 compared to 63 films in DANAFF II. But more importantly, the content of DANAFF this year was very rich. A new film program was opened, “Asian Cinema Panorama”, which selected excellent Asian cinema works that were successful at international film festivals in the past year, and screened together with films selected by DANAFF for their international or Asian premieres.

This year’s expanded edition featured thematic showcases including 50 Years of Vietnamese War-themed Films, Korean Cinema Focus, and Panorama of Asian & Vietnamese Films. Audiences enjoyed not only screenings but also lively discussions with filmmakers, actors, and critics.

Three international workshops spotlighted key topics such as nurturing young talents, lessons from South Korean cinema's success, and the legacy of Vietnamese war-themed films. The DANAFF Talents program also left a mark with 52 emerging actors, 14 project incubators, and master classes led by global experts.

SS/SAB