“The Alien” actor Bakhtiar Panjei named best at Hong Kong festival

TEHRAN –(Iranart)- Bakhtiar Panjei, the actor of the Iranian drama “The Alien” (Namo), was crowned best for his role in the movie at the 44th edition of the Hong Kong International Film Festival, the organizers have announced.

Panjei, who in the film portrays a teacher dispatched along with his family to a remote area, was awarded in the Young Cinema Competition section of the festival. 

“The Alien” by filmmaker Nader Saeivar had its world premiere at the Forum section of the 70th Berlin International Film Festival, which was held from February 20 to March 1.

Zheng Lu Xinyuan’s “The Cloud in Her Room” and Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese’s “This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection” were named as best films at the Hong Kong festival.

Both films also won best actress in their respective sections, Jin Jing for “The Cloud in Her Room” and Mary Twala Mhlongo for “This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection”. 

Mosese’s film, shot entirely in the director’s native Lesotho, also picked up the FIPRESCI prize.

Best director in the Young Cinema Competition (World) went to India’s Pushpendra Singh for “The Shepherdess and The Seven Songs”. 

Benjamin Ree’s “The Painter and the Thief” won the Firebird Award in the documentary competition, while the jury prize went to Emmanuel Cappellin’s “Once You Know”.

In addition, three films by Abbas Kiarostami were screened at the festival. 

“In First Case, Second Case” (1979), “Tribute to the Teachers” (1977) and “Two Solutions for One Problem” (1975) were the three short films by Kiarostami presented at the restored classics section of the festival. 

HKIFF had been scheduled to take place as a physical festival August 18 to 31, after being postponed from its usual March/April timing, but was cancelled in late July after Hong Kong was hit by a third wave of Covid-19 infections and went ahead with online judging for its competition sections.

source: Tehran Times