Farshad Hashemi receives Bergman Price

The Iranian director Farshad Hashemi won The Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award for the film, Me, Maryam, The Children and 26 Others, at the film festival in Gothenburg. The prize is awarded by the three Bergman Foundations - Stiftelsen Bergmangårdarna in Fårö, Stiftelsen Ingmar Bergman and Stiftelsen Bergmancenter in Fårö - together with the Gothenburg Film Festival.

The winner gets a two-week stay at Bergmangårdarna and gets to show his film at Bergman week. Me, Maryam, The Children and 26 Others will be shown as the closing film of this year's Bergman week.

The jury consisted of the Swedish director Levan Akin, the Georgian director Elene Naveriani and the director of operations at Bergmancenter, Cristina Bernhardsson Ribeiro.

The jury's reasoning was written in English and read:

At its core, this film is a personal portrait of solidarity and the transformative power of inviting life back in. The director injects moments of humor and lightheartedness while leaving the audience deeply moved. In an unexpected and cinematically creative way, the film also explores themes of loneliness and the power of letting go. All the while, it maintains a level of authenticity in the performances, making every moment feel genuine and heartfelt. We, the jury, can't wait to see more from this director.

In conclusion, the jury is united in giving The Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award to Me, Maryam, The Children And 26 Others by Farshad Hashemi.