KIFF 2016: It’s Another Time for Iran’s women

Kolkata: Iran’s cinema had a memorable moment on Friday when Another Time, directed by Nahid Hasanzadeh won the best film award in the women directors’ category on the concluding day of the 22nd Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF).

At a gala event at Nazrul Mancha, Ms Hasanzadeh and the producer of her film, Fery-Malekmadani, were handed over Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award, 2016 by Bollywood actor Raveena Tandon.

“I want to thank the KIFF jury for the selection of my movie as the best film in the category. There is an emotion attached to it because I had suffered problems while making this movie. It is a beautiful feeling to be awarded for your effort,” Ms Hasanzadeh said in her speech.

The 82-minute long film is based on Ghadir, a worker at a chemical plant who is arrested for protesting after not being paid for over a year. He is imprisoned without trial and then released a year later without explanation.

On arriving home, he finds his daughter Somayeh has given birth out of wedlock, according to the script.

At the festival, China’s Yao Tingting took home the best woman director award for her film, Yesterday Once More.

Besides awards were given to filim directors and producers in four more categories: Best Short Film, Best Documentary Film, Netpac Awards for Asian Flims and Innovation in Moving Images.

In her address Raveena praised chief minister Mamata Banerjee for her initiative behind KIFF. State finance minister Amit Mitra who presided over the event said that film is an ‘integral part of articulation of life.’

Five other ministers: Subrata Mukherjee, Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay, Shovan Chatterjee, Firhad Hakim and Aroop Biswas also attended the event and congratulated the winners.