The wartime drama “Majnoon,” which centers on Martyr Major General Mahdi Zeinoddin, has been awarded the Crystal Simorgh for best film at the 42nd Fajr International Film Festival.

Directed by Mehdi Shamohammadi and produced by Owj Arts and Media Organization, the film centers on the courageous actions of Mehdi Zeinoddin, one of the notable martyrs of Iran who rose to leadership at a young age during the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1989), particularly on Majnoon Island during the Khaybar operation.

The film also brought Maestro Majid Entezami the Crystal Simorgh for best composer during the closing ceremony of the festival held at Milad Tower on Sunday evening.

Additionally, Behzad Khalaj and Shabnam Qorbani won best supporting actor and actress awards for their roles in “Majnoon”.

Behrouz Afkhami was awarded best director for his work on “The Morning of The Execution”, which explores the final moments of Tayyeb Haj Rezai and Esmaeil Rezai after the 1963 uprising.

Arastou Khoshrazm also won the best actor award for the film.

The best actress award went to Maral Bani-Adam for her role in “Parvin”.

Directed by Mohammadreza Varzi, the film is about the life story of Parvin Etesami (1907-1940), one of the most prominent Persian poets of the 20th century.

Kouhyar Kalari was honored with the best cinematographer award for “Summer of the Same Year” by Mahmoud Kalari.

Kamyab Amin Ashayeri and Mehrnoush Bayani received best set design and best costume design awards for their collaboration on the film.

Hassan Hassandoust was recognized as the best editor for “Parviz Khan” directed by Ali Saqafi, who also received an honorable mention for best screenplay.

Morteza Kohzadi was named best makeup artist for “Ahmad”, directed by Amir Abbas Rabiei, and Mohammad Baradaran won the best visual effects award for his work on the same film.

In the New Outlook Section of the festival, “Parviz Khan” was named best first film, while Javad Ezzati received the Crystal Simorgh for the best director for his debut directorial “Blood Alligator”.

In the Cinema Salvation, the international section of the festival, Crystal Simorgh for the best film was awarded to “Blaga’s Lessons”, directed by Stephan Komandarev from Bulgaria.

The film recounts the story of Blaga, a seventy-year-old recently widowed former teacher with strong morals. When telephone scammers deceive her out of money she had saved for her husband’s grave, her moral compass gradually begins to falter.

Alejandro Rojas and Juan Sebastián Vasquez from Spain were honored with the best director award for their film “Upon Entry.”

The movie depicts the challenges faced by Diego, a Venezuelan urbanist, and Elena, a contemporary dancer from Barcelona, as they encounter difficulties at Newark Airport while embarking on a new life in the United States.

“The Best Century of My Life” from Italy earned director and writer Alessandro Bardani the Crystal Simorgh for the best script, while the award for outstanding artistic contribution was presented to Angelo Rallis for “Mighty Afarin: In Time of Flood,” a co-production from Greece and Bangladesh.

In this segment, Mahmoud Kalari from Iran received the special jury award for his film “Summer of the Same Year.” /T.T/

Iran has exported more than 6.7 million tons of agricultural and food products worth $4.8 billion during the first ten months of the current Iranian year (March 21, 2023 – January 20, 2024), an Iranian economic official said.

Rouhollah Latifi, the spokesman of the Iranian House of Industry, Mine and Trade’s Trade Development Commission at the Iranian industry ministry said on Tuesday that Iran exported 6.775.658 tons of fisheries, livestock, agricultural, and food products worth $4.837.194.884 during the first ten months.

The figures show an 8.4% and 22 % rise in terms of volume and value respectively in comparison with the corresponding period of last year, he added.

Of this amount, 4.944.481 tons worth $2.930.585.728 were dedicated to the export of agricultural products, while 1.133.710 tons worth $931.961.158 were dedicated to the export of food products and 697.467 tons worth $1.010.647.998 were dedicated for the fisheries, livestock, and dairy products.

The exports mainly included dairy products, pistachios, tomatoes, apples, and fisheries, he noted. /MNA/

An Iranian knowledge-based company has managed to export hemodialysis machines to four countries namely Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, and Indonesia. A hemodialysis machine used in dialysis filters a patient’s blood to remove excess water and waste products when the kidneys are damaged, dysfunctional, or missing. The dialysis machine itself can be thought of as an artificial kidney.

Inside, it consists of more plastic tubing that carries the removed blood to the dialyzer, a bundle of hollow fibers that forms a semipermeable membrane for filtering out impurities. In the dialyzer, blood is diffused with a saline solution called dialysate, and the dialysate is in turn diffused with blood. When the filtration process is complete, the cleansed blood is returned to the patient.

Most patients who undergo dialysis because of kidney impairment or failure use a dialysis machine at a dialysis clinic. Also, a machine called a peritoneal dialysis machine can be used chronically at home for dialysis, which eliminates the need for regular hemodialysis clinic treatments. Using this machine during the day and frequently during sleep, the patient can control his/her own dialysis.

Facing severe challenges due to the intensification of international sanctions on medical equipment, especially hemodialysis machines, in 2013, a knowledge-based company decided to take steps to meet the needs of the country’s dialysis patients and contribute to reducing the pain of 30,000 dialysis patients in the country, ISNA reported.

Currently, a total of 1,000 domestically-made hemodialysis machines are serving patients in 260 public and private centers.

Iran exported the first shipment of hemodialysis machines to Afghanistan. The hemodialysis machines have also been exported to Syria, Iraq, and Indonesia.

Iran among 5 producers of hemodialysis machines

Just a few countries have attained the knowledge and technology for manufacturing hemodialysis machines. The United States of America, Germany, Sweden, Japan, Italy, and Iran are the five manufacturers of the systems.

In practice, developing and increasing the capacity of dialysis beds and consumables required for dialysis treatment is dependent on the supply of equipment, materials, and technical support by companies located in these advanced countries and it could be expensive and require relatively high foreign exchange resources.

As mentioned above, due to the importance of Hemodialysis and the increase in the number of kidney-related diseases that could lead to malfunction and because of demand to increase life standards of related patients, a group of Iranian researchers decided to establish a company for this purpose in 2013.

The company invested in the design and fabrication of a hemodialysis machine and tried to compensate for these shortages as best as they could and finally managed to localize this valuable technology in Iran.

The company registered its own brand and promoted Iran as the fifth country in the world that produces hemodialysis machines.

The utilization license was granted by Iran’s Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade in July 2017. The company has the capacity and permit to produce one thousand hemodialysis machines per year. /T.T/

Iran and Saudi Arabia plan to set up a direct shipping line between Kangan, in the southern Iranian province of Bushehr, and Dammam, in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, in a bid to boost trade between the two countries.

Governor of Bushehr Ahmad Mohammadizadeh said late on Saturday that the launch of the shipping line between Iran and Saudi Arabia was decided in a recent visit by Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Diplomacy Mehdi Safari to the province as part of efforts to increase Iran’s trade volume with countries in the Persian Gulf.

Mohammadizadeh also said that development projects introduced in Kangan are close to be finished, adding that large vessels can dock in the port in the near future.

Local officials give importance to the development of the maritime economy in Kangan, he said, adding that authorities plan to set up an industrial zone for knowledge-based companies in the region to serve the needs of the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries that exist in the port. /MNA/

Two films from Iran have won awards at the 16th Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF) in Jaipur, India. “The Last Birthday” directed by Navid Mahmoudi and “The Last Year’s Story” by Mehdi Jabinshenas are the Iranian movies whose names are among the winners of this year’s edition of the Indian festival announced on January 25, ILNA reported on Sunday.

A joint production of Iran and Afghanistan, Mahmoudi’s latest feature fiction won the Golden Camel award for the best director.

The 80-minute film tells the story of Soraya, a female journalist, who has been trying to spread news about the difficult situation of Afghan women to the world for years. However, Taliban forces surprise Soraya and her friends once they arrest her at home on her birthday.

The political drama, which has so far participated in festivals in India, Spain, and the U.S., features Elnaz Shakerdoust, Pedram Sharifi, Sheyda Khaligh, Armin Rahimian, Sogol Khaligh, and Reza Behbudi among others.

“The Last Year’s Story” is a 48-minute documentary, which won the best sound and editing award in the feature documentary section of the festival.

The film shows Mrs. Salem, a second-grade primary school teacher, in the last year of her teaching. She has been involved in online education. But she does not send photos and videos of herself. The principal, who will also retire this year, is concerned about the state of education. She is trying to maintain the reputation of her 30-year management.

Jaipur International Film Festival is the world’s biggest competitive film festival in fiction films. It seeks to promote new movie makers, the exchange of knowledge, information, ideas, and culture between India and other nations in the context of their social and cultural ethos. It also promotes friendship and cooperation among people of the world through the medium of films and documentaries. /T.T/

Iranian women Atousa Golshadnezhad and Mobina Heydari won a gold and silver medal at the Karate 1 Premier League Paris. The Female Kumite -61kg division saw Golshadnezhad claimed the top spot, securing victory against Anita Serogina of Ukraine by “Hantei” or decision (1-1).

Golshadnezhad, the current Asian champion, celebrated her first-ever Karate 1 Premier League title.

She had defeated Greek Chrysopoulou Konstantina, the UAE’s Sarah Al Ameri 4-0, Ukraine’s Viktoriya Vashchyshyn 3-0, Tunisia’s Wafa Mahjoub 2-0, and Ukraine’s Oleksandra Sholokhova 3-0 on her way to final.

In the Female Kumite -68kg, Heydari lost to Thalya Sombe of France 4-2 to take a silver.

Heydari had defeated France’s Melinda Marmot 3-1, Croatian Sadea Becirovic 5-1, Indonesian Georgia Zefanya Ceyco 6-4, Japan’s Tsubasa Kama 4-2 and Silvia Semeraro of Italy 8-4 on her way to the final.

Iran’s Ali Meskini also seized a bronze in the Male Kumite -60Kg, beatin Kuwait’s Abdullah Shaaban 10-2.

The Karate 1 Premier League Paris Grand Finale concluded with these outstanding performances, leaving fans eagerly anticipating the next chapter in the world of elite karate competition. Karate’s first-class series of events travels now to Antalya (Turkey) where the second stop of the competition will be held from March 15 to 17. / T.T/

The southern city of Shiraz has been designated as the Asian Capital of Environment in 2024 by the Asian Mayors Forum. The AMF issued a certificate of designation in the name of Shiraz municipality on January 1, IRNA reported.

Shiraz has been elected because of the significant steps taken by the city in dealing with climate change and natural disasters as well as taking effective measures in water resources management.

Conducting environmental studies, establishing an urban management system to save materials and energy, expanding the use of renewable energy, and installing air pollution monitoring devices were among the measures taken in this regard.

In its announcement on Wednesday, the AMF also designated the Iranian northwestern city of Hamedan as the capital of tourism in Asia in 2024.

Asian Mayors Forum

Asian Mayors Forum (AMF) is an international non-governmental, non-profit organization dedicated to expanding and exalting the relations and cooperation between mayors and city managers in Asia.

AMF aims to help cities develop urban and public diplomacy, knowledge exchange, technical know-how, and experiences of urban management as well as specialized cooperation between members and also strengthen the integration between the Asian cities, mayors, and citizens toward a better life.

AMF was created by the initiative of Tehran Municipality and the support of the Asian Governments and Parliaments and its first official meeting conducted in 2008 coincided with the inauguration of Milad Tower in Tehran hosted by Tehran Municipality with the attendance of more than 100 mayors and urban managers.

The founding belief behind the forum is ‘Asia for citizens, Integration for a better life’.

4th intl. conference on conservation of environment

The fourth international conference on the conservation of environment and natural resources opened on November 22, 2023, in the northwestern city of Ardabil and ran for two days.

Protection and restoration of forest ecosystems; forest health and biodiversity; ecological approach to forests and pastures management; climate change; environmental hazards and ecological resilience; assessing, modeling, and managing water, soil, and plant resources were the main objectives of the conference.

Remote sensing and geographic information systems; community-based forests and pastures management; laws, rights, and natural resources governance; environment and socio-economic issues; environmental and civil engineering; sustainable urban, rural, and ecotourism development; biosecurity and environmentally-friendly agriculture; and green investment, management and supply of raw materials for wood and paper industries were the other main objectives.

Environmental protection Education Day

On November 7, the fifteenth day of Esfand – the last Iranian calendar month, which falls on March 5, was approved to be registered on the national calendar as the ‘Environmental Protection Education Day’.

Nourollah Moradi, the Department of Environment’s director for educational affairs, said that the Environmental Protection Education Day is the second environmental event to be registered in the country’s official calendar, IRNA reported.

Clean Earth Day, April 22, was the first environmental event registered in the national calendar.

He referred to the registration of the Environmental Protection Education Day in the country’s official calendar as a valuable event for the environmental society of the country and said, “Education in the field of environment is one of the basic steps to preserve and protect the country’s environment.”

“It will be an important measure taken to enhance environmental literacy and empower the next generations.”

National Tree Planting Day is annually celebrated on the fifteenth day of Esfand – the last Iranian calendar month, falling on March 5. The day also marks the beginning of the National Week of Natural Resources.

Environmental protection a priority

In May 2023, Stefan Priesner, the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Iran, said the issue of environmental protection is a priority for cooperation with Iran.

According to the program under the agreement between Iran and the United Nations, the environment is one of the priorities for cooperation and efforts are being made to establish good cooperation in this field, he added.

He made the remarks in a meeting in Tehran with Ali Salajeqeh, the head of the Department of Environment.
Following up on environmental issues, including climate change, protecting biodiversity, and dealing with air pollution, is given serious attention by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Priesner stressed.

Salajeqeh, for his part, referred to holding the international conference on dealing with sand and dust storms that is due to be held in September in Iran as a great opportunity to use the experiences and maximum participation of other countries and international organizations in managing and reducing the effects of this problem.

He touched on cruel sanctions against Iran, saying that the United Nations should use international capacities such as environmental conventions to help the country fulfill commitments in climate change, biodiversity, waste management, and so on.

In February, Salajeqeh said that based on the successful experiences of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the field of combating sand and dust storms, the United Nations introduced Iran as the host of the international conference on combating sand and dust storms, IRIB reported.

Arrangements have been made with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and this meeting will be held in Tehran with the presence of the environment ministers of the world countries, Salajeqeh said.

In the field of diplomacy, the Department of Environment has held meetings with neighboring countries to the extent that Egypt has also announced its readiness to attend the Tehran meeting, he highlighted. /T.T/

The 54th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) will be held in the city of Isfahan from July 21 to 29. Over 400 students and 250 professors from 70 to 80 countries are expected to participate in this scientific competition, IRNA reported.

The Iranian team grabbed four silver medals and one bronze medal in the 53rd IPhO that was held in Japan in July 2023.

Iran has so far hosted four international Olympiads of physics (2007), astronomy (2009), computer (2017), and biology (2018).

Intl. Olympiad achievements

The outstanding achievements of Iranian students in international Olympiads have placed the country among the top five nations in the world.

“The educational system of other countries is excellent, yet Iran is among the top 5 countries in the world in the international Olympiads, YJC quoted Elham Yavari, the head of the National Organization for the Development of Brilliant Talents (SAMPAD), as saying.

Yavari pointed to a reform-based plan approved by Iran’s Ministry of Education in 2011 that defined a 20-year prospect for the elevation of educational standards and improvement of the educational system across the country.

Iranian schoolchildren ranked second and grabbed six gold medals in the Second Open World Astronomy Olympiad (OWAO).

The tournament was hosted by Russia at the Sirius Educational Center from November 14 to 22, 2023, IRNA reported. The participants attended the event both in person and remotely.

Iran grabbed one gold medal and three silver medals at the 35th International Olympiad in Informatics, ranking seventh in the world among 91 countries.

The IOI 2023 was held in Szeged, Hungary, from August 28th to September 4th.

The International Olympiad in Informatics is an annual international informatics competition for high school students from various invited countries, accompanied by social and cultural programs.

It is one of the several international science Olympiads held annually around the world. Exceptional high school students from various countries compete in the prestigious algorithmic competition to sharpen their informatics skills—such as problem analysis, design of algorithms and data structures, programming, and testing.

This year, the Iranian team took five medals, ranking third in the 16th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics held on August 10-20 in Chorzow, Poland.

IOAA is an annual event for students who perform very well academically around the world. Established in Thailand in the year 2006, it was an initiative by five countries including Thailand, Indonesia, Iran, China, and Poland.

Also, Iranian students took six medals, ranking 11th at the 64th International Mathematical Olympiad which was held in Japan on July 2-13, 2023.

IMO is the World Championship Mathematics Competition for High School students and is held each year in a different country.

The Iranian students who participated in the 53rd International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) succeeded in winning four silver medals and one bronze medal which placed the country 11th among 111 participating countries, ISNA reported.

The IPhO 2023 was held from July 10-17 at the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center in Tokyo, ISNA reported.

In the 34th International Biology Olympiad (IBO), held in the United Arab Emirates from July 3-11. The IBO 2023 hosted 293 students from 76 countries. /T.T.

Mojtaba Amini further added that there will be a special section dedicated to Palestine at this year’s festival, IRNA reported him as saying on Saturday.

The international section of the 42nd edition will have two sections including Cinema Salvation (international competition) and Eastern Vista (competition of Asian-Islamic countries films).

In addition to Iran, countries such as the U.S., France, India, Turkey, Italy, Russia, Spain, Germany, Mexico, China, Britain, Iraq, South Korea, and Japan have registered their works for participation in the international section of this year’s edition.

The international section of 42nd Fajr International Film Festival aims to identify quality international and national films and to strengthen and encourage the production of works aligned with the Iranian cinema. In this section, priority is given to films dealing with topics seeking justice, discouraging oppression, arrogance, global terrorism, violence and extremism, encouraging Islamic awakening, transcendent lifestyle, family orientation, human rights, highlighting moral, spiritual and religious teachings, fighting against discrimination, highlighting culture and civilization through artistic expression and thus striving to guide contemporary man towards happiness.

Last week, the 42nd edition of the Fajr International Film Festival, Iran’s most important film event, announced its lineup for three sections Sodaye-Simorgh (the festival’s main competition section), New Perspective (first-time filmmakers) and Animations.

According to the announcement, 22 Iranian feature films will take part in the main competition section, 11 films will be shown in the New Perspective section, and 4 animated films will compete in their own specified section.

The 42nd Fajr International Film Festival will be held from February 1 to 11. /T.T/

Researchers at the University of Tehran managed to produce two types of recombinant drugs to treat self-immune diseases and some cancers.

Speaking in an interview with Mehr news agency (MNA), Fatemeh Asgarieh, a researcher at the research team of the university, pointed to the production of the two recombinant medicines used for the treatment of self-immune diseases and also some cancers including lung, liver and skin cancers and stated that the developed medicine is licensed by the Iranian Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

There is a foreign-made similar drug in which “Interleukin II” has been used but “we used Interleukin 21 that has fewer side effects and has the same function,” she said.

Interleukin (IL) 1 is a highly potent pro-inflammatory mediator that is important in immune defense and in immune-mediated disease, she added.

Interleukins are among the chemicals that are used to regulate and accelerate the processes that are supposed to happen in the human body, she said, adding that interleukin 21 is used to treat cancer diseases. /MNA/