The Iranian short film “Small Red, Big Blue”, written and directed by Seyed Hamed Nobari and Asghar Besharati, has won the Grand Prize at the 2025 Nikon International Film & Photo Competition in Tokyo, Japan.
The competition’s theme this year was “Inspiring”, and the winning film was selected from submissions from 180 countries and regions worldwide. This marks the first time an Iranian film has received the Grand Prize at the festival, which has been running since 1969 and is considered one of the largest photo and film competitions in the world.
Presented in a single 40-second shot, Small Red, Big Blue highlights the environmental crisis in the oceans and the impact on marine life, delivering a striking visual narrative in a compact form. The award was received by Fatemeh Abdi, representing the filmmakers, from Nikon director Muneaki Tokunari during the ceremony in Tokyo.
The film has already been officially selected by over 290 international film festivals and has garnered 40 awards worldwide, cementing its status as a standout work in both environmental storytelling and short-form cinema.