Cinema Honorary Award

The Cinema Honorary Award has stood as SGIFF’s highest accolade since its introduction in 2014, recognising filmmakers who have made exceptional and enduring contributions to Asian cinema. This prestigious award previously honoured visionary directors such as South Korea’s Im Kwon-taek, Hong Kong’s Fruit Chan, Indonesia’s Garin Nugroho and Japan’s Takashi Miike. This year, the festival is proud to present the award to celebrated Iranian filmmaker, Jafar Panahi.

JAFAR PANAHI

Filmmaker

Jafar Panahi is an Iranian filmmaker who has won numerous accolades including the Berlinale’s Golden Bear for Taxi (2015) and Cannes’ Best Screenplay for Three Faces (2018). His films often portray Iranian society in a humanistic and neorealist style. The explicit social critique in his work, however, has incurred the government’s ire, for which he has been imprisoned and placed under house arrest. He was awarded Best Director and the Special Jury prize for The Mirror (1997) at the 11th SGIFF.

Known for his fearless storytelling, incisive sociopolitical critique and formally inventive style, Panahi’s oeuvre is a testament to how cinema can serve as a powerful tool for personal, political and artistic freedom, even amid unfree conditions. His films not only highlight stories of resistance and change, but also embody boundless creativity and a fiercely independence spirit, pushing the boundaries of cinema.

In Conversation: Jafar Panahi

Catch Jafar Panahi in person at an exclusive dialogue session where he will share reflections on his filmmaking journey, the challenges he has faced, and the enduring power of cinema as a tool for social change.

Jafar Panahi In Focus

Part of the Landmark section, this special showcase on Jafar Panahi will spotlight his earlier works and lesser-known short films.