TEHRAN, Sept. 12 (Mehr News Agency) -- The movies “Night Bus” and “Mainline” garnered the most awards at the Iran Cinema Celebration ceremony which was held on September 11

The evening event was held in the open-air at the Sadabad Cultural Historical Complex and was attended by a galaxy of film stars.

Kiumars Purahmad’s war film “Night Bus” picked up four awards and the junkie-centred movie “Mainline” by Rakhshan Bani-Etemad and Mohsen Abdolvahhab, won three awards.

The festival is held annually to celebrate Iran’s National Cinema Day and is  sponsored the House of Cinema.

“Tonight is the night of cinema, a night in which we honor cineastes and the Iranian culture and civilization. It is also the night of friendship and kindness,” gala secretary Parviz Parastuii said before the award presentation.

“Beloved members of our cinema family will stand before you on the stage in the warmth of your presence and we will applaud - today for them, tomorrow for all, and all for tomorrow,” he added.

The festival’s entries had been evaluated by a jury comprising over 100 Iranian cineastes.

Baran Kowsari, who played the role of a drug addict in “Mainline”, grabs the Best Actress Award. (Mehr/Ruzbeh Jadidoleslam)

Mehdi Homayunfar, producer of “Night Bus” won the Best Film Award while Rakhshan Bani-Etemad and Mohsen Abdolvahhab received Best Director Award for their jointly-directed film “Mainline”.

Best Screenplay Award was presented by veteran filmmaker Masud Kimiaii to Kiumars Purahmad and Habib Ahmadzadeh for “Night Bus”, which was also directed by Purahmad.

Leading actor Khosro Shakibaii in veneration kissed the hand of the 72-year-old actor Jamshid Mashayekhi who presented him with the Best Actor Award.

Best Actress Award went to Baran Kowsari for her role as a drug addict in “Mainline”.

The Iranian traditional music band Hamavayan, led by tar virtuoso Hossein Alizadeh, performed a mini concert during the celebration.

Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad-Hossein Saffar Harandi (C), Deputy Culture Minister for Cinematic Affairs Mohammadreza Jafari-Jelveh (L), and Farabi Cinematic Foundation director Majid Shah-Hosseini applaud winners during the Iran Cinema Celebration at the Sadabad Cultural Historical Complex on September 11. (Mehr/Ruzbeh Jadidoleslam)

Following is a list of the other winners at the 11th edition of the celebration:

* Best Supporting Actor: Saber Abar (“Mina of the Silent City”)

* Best Supporting Actress: Sima Tirandaz (“Reward of Silence”)

* Best Cinematographer: Hamid Khozuei Abyaneh (“Barefoot in Heaven”)

* Best Editor: Bahram Dehqani (“Barefoot in Heaven”)

* Best Sound Recorder: Yadollah Najafi (“Mainline”)

* Best Sound Effects: Masud Behnam (“Night Bus”)

* Best Costume and Stage Designer: Iraj Raminfar (“Havana Dossier”)

* Best Composer: Karan Homayunfar (“Jan-i-Gal”)

* Best Makeup Artist: Mehrdad Mirkiani (“Rule of the Game”)

* Best Site-Specific Special Effects: Mohsen Ruzbehani (“The Third Day”)

* Best Aesthetic Special Effects: Alaeddin Pajhan (“Reward of Silence”)

* Best Short Film: “The Empty Fish Bowl” (Atefeh Khademorreza)

* Best Experimental Documentary Film: “Circle Area” (Shahram Mokri)