The closing ceremony of the 19th International Documentary Film Festival of Iran, Cinéma Vérité, was held on Wednesday, December 17, with Farzad Hassani as host.
According to the Cinema Museum of Iran News Agency, the ceremony was attended by senior cultural and cinema officials, including Raed Faridzadeh, Head of the Cinema Organization of Iran; Mohammad Hamidi-Moghadam, Festival Secretary; Homayoun Asadian, CEO of Iran Cinema House; and several other cultural and institutional leaders, along with jurors, filmmakers, and international guests.
The ceremony opened with a performance featuring special lighting and music, followed by remarks from the host highlighting the festival's strong presence of young filmmakers and its focus on Iranian themes.
Festival Vision and Highlights
In his speech, Festival Secretary Mohammad Hamidi-Moghadam described the 19th edition as a nationwide event reflecting the diversity of Iranian documentary cinema. He emphasized the participation of emerging filmmakers from across Iran, the exchange of ideas among different generations, and the festival’s role in strengthening documentary storytelling both nationally and internationally.
Hamidi-Moghadam also stressed the importance of innovation in documentary form and narrative, encouraging filmmakers to move beyond conventional structures and present local stories with global relevance. He highlighted international cooperation—particularly regional collaboration—and the festival’s growing influence in the Middle East.
This year, special attention was given to documentary photography, with exhibitions and educational workshops hosted by the Iranian Artists Forum.
Awards and Honors
Numerous awards were presented across national, international, student, photography, and special thematic sections, including the Gaza competition and the “Iran” section focusing on heritage and the 12-day war.
Major awards included:
Best Film (Firoozeh Award): For My Daughter – produced by Mehdi Avazadeh, Hashem Masoudi, and Mojtaba Ehsani
Best Feature Documentary Director: Heyman Khaledi (Wings of the Song)
Audience Award: Kabouk by Jafar Sadeghi
Student Section Honors: Misophonia and Metamorphocracy
Photography Awards: Hunting Geometry, Futchell, and Black Death Mine
The Shahid Avini Awards honored documentaries focused on resistance, war, and national memory. At the same time, special tributes were paid to Palestinian filmmaker Rashid Masharawi for his contributions to documenting life in Gaza.
Closing Remarks
Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Seyed Abbas Salehi, highlighted the country’s vast documentary potential, citing its rich history, cultural diversity, and social complexity. He praised documentary filmmakers for preserving national memory and portraying Iranian realities under challenging circumstances.
The festival concluded with special recognitions for several impactful documentaries and filmmakers, reaffirming Cinéma Vérité’s role as one of the most significant and authentic documentary film festivals in Iran and the region.