Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi’s ‘Midday Meal’ wins top award at Busan International film festival

Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi’s film Midday Meal has won the highest award at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF),

Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi’s film Midday Meal has won the highest award at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), held in South Korea, marking a major achievement for Iranian cinema on the international stage.

According to foreign media reports, the film secured the top honour at the awards ceremony held on Thursday. Following its victory, the film also became eligible for consideration in the International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, offering it an opportunity to gain further international recognition.

The Busan International Film Festival, regarded as one of Asia’s leading film festivals, introduced its official competition section for the first time last year. The initiative was launched to strengthen the festival’s international standing and provide filmmakers from different countries with a platform to showcase their work and compete for prestigious awards.

This year, the competition featured 13 films, including three productions from South Korea. The diverse selection brought together filmmakers and cinematic stories from different cultural backgrounds, highlighting the festival’s role in promoting international filmmaking and encouraging artistic exchange.

The jury, headed by renowned Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, selected Majidi’s drama film as the winner. Zhang is internationally recognised for directing Raise the Red Lantern, a celebrated film that brought him widespread acclaim and established his reputation as one of China’s most prominent filmmakers.

The jury’s decision represents an important milestone for Majidi, who has earned international recognition for his emotionally compelling films and his focus on social realities, human struggles and the lives of ordinary people. His work frequently explores themes of poverty, childhood, family relationships and moral responsibility, often presenting complex social issues through personal stories.

Midday Meal centres on a teacher assigned to a poor village in Iran, where he faces the difficult challenge of keeping the local school operational. As the institution struggles to survive, the teacher finds himself under increasing pressure and is eventually forced to turn to smuggling in an attempt to prevent the school from closing.

The film explores the difficult choices people may face when economic hardship threatens their livelihoods and the future of their communities. Through the teacher’s struggle, the story highlights the challenges confronting educational institutions in disadvantaged areas and the sacrifices individuals may make to preserve access to education.

The narrative also raises broader questions about poverty, social inequality and the circumstances that can push ordinary people towards unlawful activities. By placing a teacher at the centre of the story, the film examines the tension between personal morality and the desperate need to protect a community’s educational future.

Majidi’s latest achievement at the Busan International Film Festival further draws attention to Iranian cinema and its ability to engage international audiences through stories rooted in local experiences but connected to universal human concerns.

The film’s success could also help expand its reach beyond festival audiences, particularly if it secures further recognition through the Academy Awards process. Its eligibility for the International Feature Film category provides a potential pathway towards one of the world’s most prominent film awards.

The victory underscores the continuing importance of international film festivals in recognising cinematic talent, promoting culturally diverse storytelling and bringing films from different parts of the world to a wider audience.