The festival’s public relations office has named Sergey Dvortsevoy, Marina Toropigina, and Mehrdad Oskouei as jurors, along with Bahman Aghaei, Elaheh Nobakht, and Majid Movassaghi as members of the selection committee in the international section of this round of Varesh Festival.
Now read on with some background information about each of these film connoisseurs:
Jury Members
- Sergey Dvortsevoy
Born in 1962, this Kazakh filmmaker gained international acclaim with his 2018 drama “Ayka,” submitted to the Cannes Film Festival, winning the Best Actress prize. “Tulpan” is another masterpiece by this Kazakh director, earning him the Un Certain Regarde award back in 2008.
Dvortsevoy is a graduate from the Aviation College of Ukraine, as well as the Moscow Film School.
- Marina Tropigina
Tropigina is the program director of Moscow International Film Festival, attended the Moscow Film School, is a member of the International Association of Film and Television Schools (CILECT), and is now a jury member of the 9th round of Varesh International Film Festival.
- Mehrdad Oskouei
This Iranian film directing graduate was born in 1969. The majority of his works have earned him numerous prestigious national and international awards. In 2010, he was granted an honorary title by Netherland’s Prince Claus Fund as “the Cultural Figure of the Year.” Oskouei was also elected as the world’s best documentary filmmaker in 2016 by True/False Film Festival in the United States of America.
Other awards granted to this renowned artist include the 60th BFI award, the Amnesty International Film Award of the 65th Berlinale, Netherland’s IDFA, and the jury’s Grand Prize from the 19th Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in the U.S.
In addition, Oskouei acts as a cultural ambassador to the Humanitarian Charter of the United Nations.
Selection Committee
- Bahman Aghaei
Born in 1960, Bahman Aghaei was the first secretary of Iranian Youth Cinema Festival. Aghaei’s experiences in this field cover a range of activities such as his position as deputy to the cultural and international relations of Iranian Youth Cinema Society, juror of the youth films panel in the UNICA festival of Sweden, a member of the policymaking and commercial planning council of festivals, and head of international affairs in Iran’s fifth International Green Film Festival.
- Majid Movassaghi
Born in 1977 in Nur, Mazandaran, Movassaghi graduated from university with a degree in Theater. He studied in Russia’s Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography for six years, from 2003 up to 2009. Movassaghi has ever since held various cinema/theater workshops in Iran and some other countries.
Currently working at the Media Department of ETH Zürich, he also acts as a member of the International Society of Film and Theater Critics, as well as the Animation Filmmakers Guild of Iran.
- Elaheh Nobakht
This 32-year-old MA holder of International Trade runs an independent film production and distribution company called “ELI Image.” Her latest documentary work called “Beloved” was screened in the 69th Berlin International Film Festival (2019).
Nobakht has been a member of the jury in several global movie fairs, such as the Beirut International Women Film Festival in 2019, and the 13th International Oriental Film Festival of Geneva (FIFOG) in 2018. On a domestic scale, her experience with festivals includes being the head of the jury and the foreign guests department in five rounds of Fajr International Film Festival, as well as the director of the international sections in local festivals namely Shahr and Yas.
Presided by Mehdi Ghorbanpour, the 9th edition of Varesh International Film Festival is set to open on April 29, in the northern city of Babol, in Mazandaran Province. After a four-year pause, the latest round will run up to May 3, with simultaneous screening of movies in Ramsar and Sari.
Your Comment