Iranian movie wins Sydney Film Festival

SYDNEY (AAP) - June 19 - Iranian film A Separation has won the Sydney Film Festival official competition and will take home the $60,000 cash prize.
Jury president, Chinese director Chen Kaige, said director Asghar Farhadi's film came closest to fitting the judging criteria for courageous, audacious and cutting-edge filmmaking.
"This film looks beneath the surface of relations between men and women in Iran in a way that raises questions about law, freedom, family," he said in Sydney on Sunday.
"It is an extremely courageous film, successfully executed.
"We want to honour the filmmakers."
A Separation is a drama about a marriage that falls apart over a decision to leave Iran.
Festival director Clare Stewart delivered a message on behalf of Farhadi, who was in Tehran.
"I am on this side of the world an you are on the other," his message said.
"What could bring us together better than cinema.
"I would like to share this happiness with my fellow Iranians living there in Australia."
A Separation was one of 12 films up for the prize and made its Australian premiere at the festival on June 13.
A special mention was also given to the Egyptian film Cairo 678, directed by Mohamed Diab, which tackles the issues of sexual harassment in Egypt.
The announcement marked the conclusion of the 12-day festival, which began on June 8 and also included awards for documentaries and short films.