Iran International’s documentary A Friendship: From Mashhad’s Vakilabad Prison to San Diego, directed by Ardavan Roozbeh, has won a Silver Telly Award in the General Political & Commentary category for television productions.
The annual Telly Awards, established in 1979, recognize excellence in television, video and digital content.
Organizers say this year’s competition drew around 13,000 entries from across the world, judged by industry professionals from companies including Netflix and HBO.
The documentary tells the story of an unlikely friendship between Michael White, an American Navy veteran detained in Iran, and Mehdi VatanKhah, an Iranian political prisoner, who met inside Mashhad’s Vakilabad prison.
White was arrested during a trip to Iran in 2018 and later said he faced intense interrogations, psychological pressure and attempts to force him into confessing to espionage for the United States and Israel.
Beyond the personal story, the film examines the Islamic Republic’s detention of foreign and dual nationals, a practice critics and human rights groups have long described as hostage diplomacy aimed at extracting political concessions from Western governments.
The documentary also portrays the broader structure of repression in Iran, including the treatment of political prisoners, journalists and dissidents.
After returning to the United States, White campaigned to help VatanKhah leave Iran. VatanKhah later emigrated to the United States and now lives in San Diego.
The production previously won awards for cinematography and editing at the New York Short Documentary Film Festival for Aydin Roozbeh’s work on the film.
