For the first time, an environmental documentary has won the Crystal Simorgh Award at the Fajr Film Festival. The documentary, In Search for the Persian Leopard, narrates a team’s efforts to study the Persian leopard in the central Alborz mountains.

During the closing ceremony of the 30th Fajr Film Festival held at Vahdat Hall in Tehran on Sunday, February 12, In Search for the Persian Leopard won the Crystal Simorgh Award for Best Documentary Film.

This documentary, directed by Fathollah Amiri, is the first environmental film to win the Best Film Award at the Fajr Film Festival.

While receiving the award, Fathollah Amiri addressed the audience, saying: “This film represents six years of collective effort by a group of people who are passionate about the environment.”

Mohammad Darvish, an Iranian environmental activist and expert, wrote on his Facebook page:

“At last, an environmental documentary has managed to win the Crystal Simorgh for Best Film at the Fajr Film Festival for the first time. This film belongs to my dear and dedicated friend, Fathollah Amiri… a man who has brought the voice of the Persian leopard’s plight to the palace of the Fajr Festival, and one day, he will share this remarkable yet troubled nature with the entire world.”

Darvish described In Search for the Persian Leopard as a film that “will never fade from the memory of any of its viewers.”

About the Film

Mohammad Darvish, a faculty member of the Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, explained the subject of the film to Deutsche Welle:

“In Search for the Persian Leopard tells the story of a group of passionate individuals who endure the hardships of traveling to the rugged mountains above 4,000 meters in the central Alborz to catch a glimpse of Iran’s largest wild cat. Their goal is to capture exclusive footage of this beautiful creature’s habitat for the first time.”

He added:

“What compels the audience to reflect deeply during this 70-minute film is not just the first-ever footage of the Persian leopard in Alborz, but the sheer love of the people who feel the leopard’s pain and find joy in its graceful movement.”

Over 100 documentaries participated in the Fajr Film Festival this year. Out of these, 20 films were shortlisted for the award.