Kyiv IFF Molodist announced the jury of the International competition
This year, at the Cannes Film Festival, the director received the Special Award (Prix Spécial), the Ecumenical Jury Award, and the FIPRESCI Prize for his film The Seed of the Sacred Fig.
On the eve of his film’s world premiere, Mohammad Rasoulof had to flee his native Iran, where he was sentenced to eight years in prison, flogging, and a fine with confiscation of property.
The multi-awarded director (Berlinale Golden Bear in 2020 for "There Is No Evil", the main prize of Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival for “A Man of Integrity” in 2017, etc.) has been imprisoned several times in totalitarian Iran, but the last sentence was the most severe, after which the director was forced to leave the country.
The director supports Ukraine and has been fighting the totalitarian regime in his homeland for many years. His films have long been banned in Iran, and his film crew has felt the pressure from local security forces. Due to another unlawful verdict from the totalitarian court, the director was forced to leave Iran.
His film "Seeds of the Sacred Fig" will also be screened at Moldist as a part of Festival of Festivals section. The story takes place in the background of the recent protests of the Iranian people against the totalitarian government. Investigating Judge Iman grapples with paranoia amid political unrest in Tehran. When his gun vanishes, he suspects his wife and daughters, imposing draconian measures that strain family ties as societal rules crumble.
The other members of the jury of the International competition are:
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Head of FILMFEST HAMBURG from 2003 to 2023, film scholar, and film manager.
- filmmaker, winner of the Best Director award at the Sundance Film Festival for her film Slow, participant of the 2023 Kyiv International Film Festival Molodist.
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actress, lead in How is Katia? by Christina Tynkevych, which won the main prize in the national feature competition at last year’s Molodist.
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Ukrainian film producer with over 20 feature and short films under his belt (Dovbush, Foster and Max, Brothers. The Final Confession, and more).
Debut films from around the world are traditionally selected as part of the Molodist International competition. The winner receives a statuette "Scythian deer" and 5 thousand dollars from the main sponsor of the festival, the state lottery operator M.S.L.