‘Israfil’ wins NETPAC award at Iranian festival in Australia
Iranian film ‘Israfil’, directed by Aida Panahandeh, won the NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema) Award at the 7th Iranian Film Festival Australia.
According to Mehr News Agency, ‘Israfil’ narrates the story of a widow Mahi (Hedieh Tehrani) who loses her only son. Behrouz, her teenage sweetheart, who had left Iran following the scandal of his affair with her, appears at the funeral. The affair shows signs of resuming but Behrouz now has a much younger fiancé. On the horns of these emotional entanglements, the three characters have to make decisions not only about their emotions, but also about their future.
The 7th edition of the Australian event featured 11 Iranian films in its screening program and was held in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra.
According to an embassy statement, French customs authorities seized the artifacts in January 2010 in Gare du Nord train station in Paris with one of the passengers headed to London.
Experts from the Egyptology Department at the Louvre Museum have confirmed the archeological value of the pieces.
In December 2014, investigation authorities decided to confiscate the pieces and transfer them to the French state (French Customs and then the Ministry of Culture), to return to Egypt upon request in accordance with the provisions of the 1970 UNESCO Convention.
Badawi underlined the importance of continuing close cooperation between the two countries, thanking the French authorities and praising their commitment to the provisions of the 1970 UNESCO Convention.