Iranian filmmaker Abdolreza Kahani’s Twenty has been awarded at the 2009 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The 88-minute production won the Czech festival’s Special Jury Prize and the Prize of Ecumenical Jury.Twenty is about a reception hall’s staff, who fear for their jobs after the owner decides to sell the place in twenty days. The psychological drama made its international debut in Karlovy Vary after participating in numerous national festivals and being awarded at Iran’s third International Urban Film Festival.
Abdolreza Kahani began his film career at the age of 15 and made his first short film, The Smile in 1988. Empty Hands, Dance with the Moon, Adam and Over There are Kahani’s other productions. Over There has received the Golden Alexander award of the Thessaloniki festival.
Award-winning Iranian filmmaker and actress Niki Karimi served on the 2009 Karlovy Vary’s Grand Jury, headed by French producer, Claudie Ossard. Karimi was joined by Norwegian-Swedish actress Maria Bonnevie, Russian director Sergey Dvortsevoy, Uruguayan-born director Rodrigo Pla, American film critic Kenneth Turan and Czech filmmaker Ivan Zacharias.
The 44th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival was held from July 3 to 11, 2009 in the Czech Republic.