'Circumstance' Takes Top Prize at Noor Iranian Film Festival

Sundance Film Festival Audience Award winner "Circumstance" was lauded again Sunday night as it won the Audience Award, Best Director and Best Actress at the Fourth Annual Noor Iranian Film Festival, held on the UCLA campus.

Director Maryam Keshavarz left Iran after her film about star-crossed lovers was banned. It begins a U.S. theatrical run on Aug. 26 in Los Angeles and New York.

David Negahban won Best Actor for his role in the short film "Liberation," by director Michael Younesi, with Nikohl Boosheri winning for "Circumstance." In all, 25 awards were given out at the ceremony at UCLA's James Bridges Theater.

Jury members for this year's festival included Oscar-nominated sound editor Iranian-American Kami Asgar ("Apocalypto"), actor Corey Feldman ("The Lost Boys"), actress Frances Fisher ("Titanic"), actress Bai Ling ("Anna and the King") and actor Max Martini ("Saving Private Ryan").


– The Hollywood Reporter