Film Director Majid Rasoulof was honored with the Peace City Award at the 73rd annual Locarno Film Festival.
Mohammad Rasoulof Receives First City of Peace Award at Locarno Film Festival
The 78th International Film Festival of Locarno is coming to a close this weekend, but not without making history. Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof has been announced as the recipient of the City of Peace Award, a newly established honor that recognizes figures in culture who promote peace, diplomacy, and dialogue between peoples.
Rasoulof, known for his thought-provoking films that explore themes such as freedom, individual responsibility, and human dignity, is the first-ever recipient of this award. The honor was bestowed upon him on Diplomacy Day, in recognition of his work in promoting peace through film.
The City of Peace Award is a significant addition to the Locarno Film Festival, reinforcing its role as a symbol of dialogue and peaceful coexistence. The award is given every two years, and it commemorates the centenary of the 1925 Locarno Treaties, an agreement aimed at preserving peace in Europe after World War I.
One of Rasoulof's latest works, 'Stations', had its world premiere at the festival. The film, shot entirely in the Alentejo, is competing for the main award of the event and the Leopard Green Award. Another of his films, 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig', earned him the Grand Prize of the LEFFEST film festival in Lisbon in 2021.
In addition to these accolades, Rasoulof won two awards at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021 for 'The Seed of the Sacred Fig'. However, his journey to success has not been without challenges. In January 2024, Rasoulof was sentenced to eight years in prison and flogging in Tehran, Iran, due to his imminent sentence, he fled the country.
The Locarno Film Festival is also hosting a number of other notable films. 'Mare's Nest', by Ben Rivers, is in international competition at the festival. 'Mare's Nest' will have its national premiere in December in Porto. The film 'Nova '78', by Aaron Brookner and Rodrigo Areias, is out of competition at the festival and is about the 1978 convention of the same name that brought together American artists and intellectuals.
Two other films, 'Name', by Sana Na N'Hada, and 'Omi Nobu', by Carlos Yuri Ceuninck, are being screened within the Open Doors Screenings program. 'Mare's Nest' and 'There Is No Evil', a film by Rasoulof that he won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 2020, are also in competition at the festival.
As the Locarno Film Festival concludes, it leaves behind a legacy of promoting peace, dialogue, and cultural exchange. With the City of Peace Award, the festival continues to honor those who contribute to these ideals, and looks forward to continuing its mission in the years to come.
| Year | Recipient | Notes | |-------|---------------------|-----------------------------------------| | 2025 | Mohammad Rasoulof | First-ever City of Peace Award recipient, honored on Diplomacy Day for promoting peace through film[3][4][5] |
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