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Mohsen Makhmalbaf Won 2009 Freedom to Create Prize

Mohsen Makhmalbaf, the celebrated Iranian filmmaker and official overseas spokesman for 2009 Iranian presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi, has won the 2009 Freedom to Create Prize. The only prize of its kind, the Freedom to Create Prize celebrates the use of the arts to drive change and build the foundations of creativity in broken societies. Bianca Jagger, Founder and Chair of the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation, presented Mr Makhmalbaf with his award at a high profile London ceremony at the Victoria & Albert Museum on 25 November 2009.

Commenting on his award, Makhmalbaf said: "People of my country (Iran) are killed, imprisoned, tortured and raped just for their votes. Every award I receive means an opportunity for me to echo their voices to the world, asking for democracy for Iran and peace for the world". Makhmalbaf has written and directed 18 feature films and six short films that have been widely presented in international film festivals over the past 10 years. Time magazine selected his 2001 film, Kandahar, as one of top 100 films of all time. In 2006, he was a juror at the Venice Film Festival. Following this year's disputed Iranian elections, Makhmalbaf diverted his attentions from filmmaking to be the voice of defeated presidential candidate Mir-Houssein Moussavi. As police and paramilitaries suppressed peaceful protestors with firearms, batons and pepper spray, and authorities closed universities, banned rallies and blocked websites, Mir-Houssein Moussavi turned to Makhmalbaf for support. Makhmalbaf's rise to become leader of the new wave of Iranian cinema came from unlikely beginnings. When he was 15 he formed an underground Islamic militia group and was shot and jailed by the time he was 17. While imprisoned, Makhmalbaf educated himself and underwent an intellectual renaissance after which he distanced himself from violence, believing Iranian society suffers more from cultural poverty than anything else. His nominating party, ZirZamin, an alternative Iranian media magazine said: “His works were nominated because they promote freedom, understanding, open societies, secular humanism and respect to others. His analysis and depiction tasks people to questions real in everybody’s life and social realism. He is not only a film director but an educationalist, author and analyst."

Panellist Daniel Barenboim, acclaimed conductor and founder of the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, said of Makhmalbaf: “His voice has been one of the most important artistic contributions from Iran to world culture over the last decades. His films have given international audiences a window into contemporary Iran. His work in Afghanistan, both artistic and humanitarian, has added valuable facets to the understanding of this troubled country. He has also fostered a new generation of Iranian filmmakers. Last but not least, his support for the recent peaceful protests against the stolen Iranian elections made it more difficult for the regime in Tehran to silence the opposition. Especially in view of the deeply unsettling remarks and intentions of President Ahmadi-Nejad, his efforts to publicize dissenting views deserve support."

Freedom to Create Prize additional information

There are three prize winners in the Main Prize category, who will share a prize pool of US$75,000. The first place prize of US$50,000 will be split equally between the winner of the award, and an organisation nominated by them to further the cause that their work has highlighted. The second place prize of US$15,000 will be similarly divided equally between the winner and their nominated organisation. The US$10,000 third place prize will be shared the same way. The Youth Prize is open to artists who are under the age of 18. The US$25,000 prize will be divided into two. The winner(s) will receive US$10,000. The remaining US$15,000 will be given to an organisation nominated by them to further the cause their artwork has highlighted. The final category, the Imprisoned Artist Prize, focuses on artists who are imprisoned as a result of their art and the role of their work in highlighting injustice. This prize differs slightly from the other categories, in that the panel will place less emphasis on the artist’s work and more on the personal risks incurred by them, the message conveyed through their work and its impact. A single prize of US$25,000 will be directed towards securing the artist’s release, advocating on behalf of them and their cause and offering support to their family.

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