Hafez Awards launches new prize in memory of founder Ali Moallem

TEHRAN –(Iranart) The organizers of the Hafez Awards announced on Saturday that will present a new prize in memory of Ali Moallem, the founder of the Hafez Awards, who died of a heart attack in March.

The prize will be awarded to a person representing an outstanding national achievement, Moallem’s widow, Azar Memarian, and son, Omid, said during a press conference.
 
The 17th edition of the Hafez Awards, Iran’s first and only private awards in the film industry that is being organized every year by the Persian cinematic monthly Donya-ye Tasvir (Picture World), will be held in August.

“We all know Ali Moallem was the founder of this celebration, a man whose knowledge about the world of cinema was quite obvious for all to see,” Memarian said.

She added that she had been collaborating with Moallem as the executive and will organize the 17th edition without him but the event will be in his name and draw on his energy.

“Omid will take the helm as the producer and the secretary of the celebration, and we hope to hold a good celebration this year as in the previous ones,” she remarked.

For his part, Omid also said that they have tried to follow his father’s attitudes and policies in this year’s judgments of the films.

“This year was a difficult year for us since we did not have my father with us, but what encouraged us to continue was that this celebration has been founded for people and my father used to emphasize that it must be organized based on people’s tastes,” Omid said.  

A poster for the 17th Hafez Awards bearing an image of a white dove was also unveiled at the press conference.

Omid said that the white dove symbolizes his father since he often used to appear in a white suit in public.

“The white dove also symbolizes peace and we aimed to show that the world needs to move toward peace,” he added.

The exact date of the celebration has not been announced yet.