Final Ceremony of the 28th International Theater Festival for Children and Youth in Ardakan
Final Ceremony of the 28th International Theater Festival for Children and Youth in Ardakan
Winners of the 28th Children and Youth Theater Festival Announced
The 28th International Theater Festival for Children and Youth in Ardakan's closing ceremony was a celebration of diversity, with winners in five competitive categories announced, showcasing the global reach of the festival.
According to the public relations office of the festival, the ceremony took place on the morning of February 25, 2024, at Shahid Beheshti Faculty Auditorium in Ardakan, attended by Mahmoud Salari, Deputy Minister of Arts at the Ministry of Culture, Kazem Nazari, Director General of Dramatic Arts center of Iran, Ali Akbar Azizi, Deputy for Political, Security, and Social Affairs of Yazd Province, Hossein Sabzevari, Governor of Ardakan, Hojatoleslam Seyed Esmail Shaker Ardakani, Imam of Ardakan, Ehsan Abedi, Director General of the Department of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Yazd Province, Reza Ebteh, Director General of the Welfare Organization of Yazd Province, Amir Mashhadi Abbas, festival artistic director, and a gathering of artists.
The ceremony began with a recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by the national anthem of the Islamic Republic of Iran and a video montage of street performances held in memory of the children of Gaza, which were showcased at the 28th festival.
The event was hosted by Seyed Javad Hashemi, a prominent theater, cinema, and television actor. Hashemi welcomed the audience and extended greetings on the occasion of Mid-Sha'ban. He said, "Congratulations on successfully hosting the Children and Youth Theater Festival in Ardakan." The program continued with a video highlighting Ardakan and Meybod's preparations for the 28th festival.
Festival Director's Address: "We Entrust the Festival to the City Known for Trust"
Amir Mashhadi Abbas, artistic director of the Children and Youth Theater Festival, expressed his pride in the festival's community impact in his closing address: "Standing at the final point of the 28th International Theater Festival for Children and Youth, I am delighted to see the smiles on the faces of children and youth in a city known as the Land of Smiles, thanks to the artistic efforts of my colleagues in children's theater. This year, my joy is doubled, witnessing the impactful reach of theater in another cherished part of our beloved country."
He added, "With the grace of God, the cooperation of officials, and the unwavering support of artists in children's and youth theater, we conclude this festival today in the ancient city of Ardakan, a place renowned for its aqueducts and prayers. We leave this international event here, in the province of Yazd—celebrated as the City of Trust—entrusting it to the noble people of Iran to guide it into the future."
Mashhadi Abbas highlighted the future goals of the festival, instilling a sense of hope and excitement for the next edition. He emphasized the festival's aim to continue fostering a competitive spirit among theater groups nationwide and bringing joy and excitement to the people of Ardakan and Meybod. "We focused on two main goals to enhance this event's prospects. Firstly, with the change of location, we recognized the need for education and development programs for artists, children, and youth. Therefore, we conducted nine workshops led by domestic and international experts and two talks by festival and theater organization managers to share valuable experiences—a benefit we expect to see reflected in the near future."
He continued, "Secondly, we aimed to standardize the conditions for all facets of children's theater, including performances for infants, children, youth, street theater, Iranian plays, and inclusive theater, with eight disability-inclusive groups involved. This has set a robust standard for making this festival a model for years."
The festival director also noted that mobile performances reached underserved areas, with 20 shows held in various remote parts of Yazd Province, all receiving enthusiastic responses. He remarked, "Undoubtedly, any shortcomings are mine, and I hope for your understanding. Last year, I spoke about the untapped potential for thought-provoking works in children's and youth theater and the concept of a theater marketplace. Still, due to a shift in the festival's direction, this did not materialize. I hope the next director, with the support of artists, can realize this vision."
Mashhadi Abbas expressed gratitude to all the artists and supporting officials, including Ahmad Nadafi, Ali Zamanian, and their team, emphasizing that wherever the Children and Youth Theater Festival has been held, the pure hearts of children have made it successful. "I hope Yazd's officials will address the infrastructure challenges so we can welcome the 29th festival with even greater enthusiasm."
He concluded, "With a heavy heart for the suffering children of the world, especially those in Gaza, and with hopes for a bright future for the children of Iran, I urge you, the artists, to carry the energy of this event back to your cities and countries. Let us spread compassion and joy among the children and youth in your communities."
List of Awardees for the 28th International Theater Festival for Children and Youth
Playwriting for Children and Youth (Under 18 Years):
- Children's Age Group (7 to 12 years)
- "The garden of pines" by Arad Torabi, 11 years old, from Hamedan
- "A Girl Named Mikhak" by Nahal Qolipour, 12 years old, from Qazvin
- Youth Age Group (12 to 17 years)
- "The Court of the Water of Life" by Tania Rezaei, 13years old, from Yazd
- "The Magic Bracelet" by Tara Jalali, 14 years old, from Tehran
Inclusive Section:
- Poster and Brochure Design:
- Praised: Kamran Faridi for "The Girl, the Bicycle, the Turn" from Tabriz
- Makeup:
- Praised: Jila Kaboudvand for "Several Colorful Birds" from Zanjan
- Winner: Mahdieh Fakhari-Pour for "The Left-Behind Guest" from Kerman
- Music:
- Praised: Mohammad Zarei Bideki and Mohammad Yazdanian for "The Girl Whose Fortune Knocked on Her Door" from Yazd
- Winner: Ali Jabari for "Blessed Marriage" from Shirvan
- Costume Design:
- Praised: Sakineh Javanshir for "Blessed Marriage" from Shirvan
- Winner: Razieh Dehqan for "The Girl Whose Fortune Knocked on Her Door" from Mehriz
- Male Supporting Actor:
- Praised: Mohsen Mirzaei for "The Left-Behind Guest" from Kerman
- Alireza Seyfian for "Chandeli" from Yazd
- Winner: Abolfazl Zarei for "Chandeli" from Yazd
- Female Supporting Actor:
- Praised: Aynaz Saeedi for "The Girl, the Bicycle, the Turn" from Tabriz
- Winner: Faezeh Raeisi-Pour for "The Left-Behind Guest" from Kerman
- Male Actor with Visual Impairment:
- Praised: Saeed Rezaei and Mohammad Hatefi for "Chandeli" from Yazd
- Male Actor with Hearing Impairment:
- Praised: Amir Shahbaznejad for "The Girl, the Bicycle, the Turn" from Tabriz
- Winner: Farbod Mohammadi for "The Girl, the Bicycle, the Turn" from Tabriz
- Male Actor with Physical Disabilities:
- Praised: Davood Sa'adat-Abadi, Ebrahim Mohammadzadeh, and Amir Adeli-Far for "The Left-Behind Guest" from Kerman
- Winner: Mehdi Mohammadi for "Several Colorful Birds" from Zanjan
- Female Actor with Physical Disabilities:
- Praised: Mohadeseh Borji for "Land of Dreams" from Hamedan
- Manijeh Fallah for "The Left-Behind Guest" from Kerman
- Winner: Niloufar Zarei for "The Girl Whose Fortune Knocked on Her Door" from Mehriz
- Male Actor with Developmental Disabilities:
- Praised:
- Erfan Alizadeh, Parham Salimi, Morteza Ghadiri, Payam Qolizadeh, Kasra Derakhshi, Mojtaba Edalatkhah, Ashkan Almasi, Naeem Esmaeili, Pouya Mohammapour for "Gavqanbar" from Astaneh Ashrafieh
- Ali Nikookalam, Hamid Rostami, Sadeq Bichranlou, Hossein Zabihi, and Yaser Dari for "Blessed Marriage" from Shirvan
- Ali Haqverdi, Mohammadreza Ghorbani, Mahmoud Joz-e Falah, Majid Fathi, Ehsan Mohammadi for "Colorful Bird" from Zanjan
- Female Actor with Developmental Disabilities:
- Praised: Sana Mirzaei for "Land of Dreams" from Hamedan
- Male Actor with Intellectual Disabilities:
- Praised: Pouyan Mohammadali-Pour for "Gavqanbar" from Astaneh Ashrafieh
Playwriting:
- Praised:
- Zahra Sadri for the script of "Gavqanbar" from Astaneh Ashrafieh
- Mohammad Parsaei-Khah for the script of "Chandeli" from Yazd
- Winner: Ali Mo'ezini for the script of "The Girl, the Bicycle, the Turn" from Tabriz
Directing:
- Praised: Elyar Mohammadi for "The Girl, the Bicycle, the Turn" from Tabriz
- Winner: Zahra Sadri for "Gavqanbar" from Astaneh Ashrafieh
Playwriting Competition:
- Winners (no specific order):
- "Elephants and Hunters" by Hossein Maleki
- "Baseless and Aimless" by Majid Bourbour
- "A Report on Change as Narrated by an Ugly Duckling" by Ehsan Janami
- "Oh God, Let It Snow" by Samira Soleimani Farsani**
Competition for Iranian Theater Performances
- Storytelling:
- Praised: Fatemeh Nozari for "The Battle of Rostam and Barzu" from Bandar Kangan
- Winner: Dorsa Nakouei for "The Wedding of Banu Goshasp" from Mashhad
- Puppetry:
Winner:
- Mohammad Hassan Abouei for the puppet show "Mubarak's Motorbike" from Mehriz
- Mehdi Nemati Moghaddam and Arash Sadeghian Haghighi for directing "Mubarak and the Box of Loneliness" from Tehran
- Praised: Veteran puppeteer Mehdi Chayani from Hamedan
Street Theater Competition:
- Makeup:
- Praised: Mahsa Khodaei for "Orange Blossom and the Giant of the Wish Tree" from Isfahan
- Costume Design:
- Winner: Hadiseh Nasiri and Mahsa Khodaei for costume and accessories in "Orange Blossom and the Giant of the Wish Tree" from Isfahan
- Music:
- Praised: Mohammad Naderi for "Pirjeh" from Isfahan
- Winner: Matin Khoramaeian for "Orange Blossom and the Giant of the Wish Tree" from Isfahan
- Stage Design:
- Praised: Saeed Allahyari for "Orange Blossom and the Giant of the Wish Tree" from Isfahan
- Winner: Faramarz Gholamian for "Today I Will Become a Tree" from Abadan
- Male Acting:
- Praised:
- Seyyed Saeed Shahcheragh for "Esfandiyar, Indeed" from Damghan
- Javad Nazari for "Orange Blossom and the Giant of the Wish Tree" from Isfahan
- Mohammad Reza Pour Ali for "Mubarak and the Magic Journey" from Astaneh Ashrafieh
- The jury did not select a winner for this category.
- Female Acting:
- Praised:
- Seyyedeh Maedeh Houshyar for "Once Upon a Time in the Land of Waste" from Rudsar
- Nazgol Bagheri for "Orange Blossom and the Giant of the Wish Tree" from Isfahan
- Winner: Zahra Harouni for "Pirjeh" from Isfahan
- Concept and Idea:
- Praised: Mohammad Jafari Laffout for "Mubarak and the Magic Journey" from Astaneh Ashrafieh
- Winner: Hessam Khalilnejad for "Esfandiyar, Indeed" from Damghan
- Directing:
Praised:
- Delaram Beigi for "Mubarak and the Magic Journey" from Astaneh Ashrafieh
- Hessam Khalilnejad for "Esfandiyar, Indeed" from Damghan
- Winner: Saeed Allahyari for directing "Orange Blossom and the Giant of the Wish Tree" from Isfahan
Toddler Theater Competition:
- Poster and Brochure Design:
- Praised: Fatemeh Jalili Moaz for "The Tailed Mouse" from Hamedan
- Music:
- Praised: Arian Naseri Mehr for "Journey to the Moon"
- Winner: Reza Abbasi for music in "The Tailed Mouse"
- Voice Acting:
- Praised:
- Zahra Moridi and Zahra Ghasemi for "Little Pepper" from Tehran
- Winner: Mina Maghamizadeh for "Darkness" from Tehran
- Puppet Design and Construction:
- Praised: Fatemeh Jalili Moaz for "The Tailed Mouse"
- Winner: Saba Ghadimi for "Darkness"
- Puppetry Performance:
- Winner: Mina Maghamizadeh for "Darkness"
- Costume Design:
- The jury did not select a winner in this category.
- Set Design:
- Praised: Ghazaleh Ebadi and Saba Ghadimi for the set design of "Darkness"
- Winner: Fatemeh Jalili Moaz for "The Tailed Mouse"
- Toddler Acting:
- Praised:
- Arad Torabi for "The Tailed Mouse"
- Yazdan Entezari for "The Story of Mr. Carrot, Ms. Apple, and Mr. Cookie"
- Male Acting:
- Praised: Hamed Torabi for "The Tailed Mouse" from Hamedan
- Female Acting:
- Praised: Vajiheh Morghzari Shirvani for "The Bean Kids" from Mashhad
- Winner: Seyyedeh Mansoureh Gheimi for "The Beautiful Scent of Friendship" from Rasht
- Playwriting:
- Praised: Hamed Torabi for writing "The Tailed Mouse" from Hamedan
- Winner: Arian Naseri Mehr for writing "Journey to the Moon" from Tehran
- Directing:
- Praised: Hamed Torabi for "The Tailed Mouse" from Hamedan
- Winner: Ghazaleh Ebadi for "Darkness" from Tehran
- Selected Performance:
- "The Tailed Mouse" directed by Hamed Torabi from Hamedan
Children's Theater Competition
- Brochure Design:
- Praised: Elaheh Jaberzadeh for "Where is My Home?" from Isfahan
- Lighting Design:
- Praised: Hossein Afzali for "The Monster Isn't Scary" from Ardakan
- Makeup and Mask Design:
- Praised:
- Hossein Tabrizi for "The Rooster Who Wanted to See the Night" from Tehran
- Leila Asbaghi for "The Wizard of Oz" from Tehran
- Music:
- Praised: Mehrshad Mohammad Niakan for "The Monster Isn't Scary" from Ardakan
- Winner: Pouya Farhang Pezhuh for "Where is My Home?" from Isfahan
- Costume Design:
- Praised:
- Paria Alimohammadi for "The Prince of Champia" from Tehran
- Reyhaneh Motahhari for "The Rooster Who Wanted to See the Night" from Tehran
- Winner: Mehdi Mezdarani for "The Wizard of Oz" from Tehran
- Set Design:
- Praised:
- Davood Piri for "The World of a Hundred Colors" from Tehran
- Alireza Hosseinpour for "The Prince of Champia" from Tehran
- Winner: Hossein Mazinani for "Bird Academy" from Tehran
- Child Acting:
- Praised:
- Arshia Jafarzadeh for "Bird Academy" from Tehran
- Narges Mohammad Rezaei for "The Hotel" from Ardakan
- Male Acting:
- Praised:
- Alireza Nassehi for "The Monster Isn't Scary" from Ardakan
- Hamidreza Hossein Ali for "Bird Academy" and "The World of a Hundred Colors" from Tehran
- Mehdi Zarei for "The Rooster Who Wanted to See the Night" from Tehran
- Masoud Mehrabi for "Bird Academy" from Tehran
- Winner: Milad Ramazani Varjavan for "The Rooster Who Wanted to See the Night" from Tehran
- Female Acting:
- Praised: Maryam Rahman Gholeki, Parisa Meshkani, and Neda Haj Babaei for "The Prince of Champia" from Tehran
- Winner: Behnaz Mahdikhah for "The World of a Hundred Colors" from Tehran
- Playwriting:
- Praised: Hamidreza Hossein Ali for "The World of a Hundred Colors" from Tehran
- Winner: Bahram Jalalipour for "The Rooster Who Wanted to See the Night" from Tehran
- Directing:
- Praised:
- Hamidreza Hossein Ali for "The World of a Hundred Colors"
- Ehsan Majidi for "The Prince of Champia"
- Arash Sharifzadeh for "The Rooster Who Wanted to See the Night"
- Mehdi Gholleh for "The Wizard of Oz" from Tehran
- No winner selected
Teen Theater Competition
- Lighting Design:
- Praised: Ehsan Salari and Vahid Moradi for "Aladdin" from Yazd
- Winner: Hashem Allahyarzadeh for "That Moonlit Night" from Shiraz
- Makeup and Mask Design:
- Praised: Maryam Eghbali and Ali Pakdast for "War and Peace" from Tehran
- Winner: Somayeh Arghabayi for "The Dream of a Horse Named Shabrang" from Mashhad
- Music:
- Praised: Mobin Ghahremani for "The Dream of a Horse Named Shabrang" from Mashhad
- Winner: Pejman Abdi and Mohammad Javad Karamati for "That Moonlit Night" from Shiraz
- Costume Design:
- Praised: for "Aladdin" from Yazd
- Winner: Mahboubeh Soltani for "The Dream of a Horse Named Shabrang" from Mashhad
- Set Design:
- Praised: Amir Behboodnia for "That Moonlit Night" from Yazd
- Winner: Mehdi Sharifi for "The Dream of a Horse Named Shabrang" from Mashhad
- Puppetry:
- Praised: Abolfazl Bydel and Amir Hossein Maleki for "The Dream of a Horse Named Shabrang" from Mashhad
- Female Acting:
- Praised: Maryam Hashemi for "Aladdin" from Yazd
- Winner: Sarina Rezagh for "Foreign Chocolate" from Tehran
- Male Acting:
- Praised:
- Amir Hossein Ensafi for "The Eagle" from Tehran
- Ali Norouzian for "The Dream of a Horse Named Shabrang" from Mashhad
- Winner: Alireza Haeri Zadeh and Saheb Haeri Zadeh for "Aladdin" from Yazd
- Playwriting:
- Praised: Kazem Pourmahdi for "Foreign Chocolate" from Tehran
- Winner: Mehdi Simriz for "The Dream of a Horse Named Shabrang" from Mashhad
- Directing:
- Praised: Elaheh Kian Fard for "Aladdin" from Yazd
- Winner: Mohammad Jahanpa for "The Dream of a Horse Named Shabrang" from Mashhad
Selected Performance:
- "The Dream of a Horse Named Shabrang," directed by Mohammad Jahanpa from Mashhad
Release of Six Prisoners with Unintentional Offenses
It is worth noting that, at the end of the ceremony, Ehsan Abedi, Director General of the Department of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Yazd Province, announced that this festival, which involved over 100 artists from the province, facilitated the release of six prisoners with unintentional offenses.