VIGMA, to Exchange Experience and Choose Best Games of the Year
Video Game Media Awards or VIGMA decides to create a festival with world standards in order to choose the best games of the year. Therefore, only critics of video games in Iran are involved.
VIGMA is consisted of the press: Bazi-Center, Bazinameh, Bazinama, Donya-ye-Bazi, Zoomg, Gamenews and Vigiato which their editors all have executive roles in it. VIGMA is known as the first video game event in Iran held entirely by the press and critics. For that, this festival is one of a kind in the country and among few known festivals in the world.
Alongside the festival, educational events and workshops are also a part of VIGMA. Applicants can use these workshops and conferences to improve their views on video games and expand their knowledge.
What VIGMA Wants to Achieve
VIGMA plans to become a credible and reliable festival even beyond Iran’s borders, and seeking that goal, we will accept submissions from regional game studios the next year.
Directors Board
Ali Fakhar
My professional career has bonded with Video Games and Public Relations. He has over 10 years of experience in PR, Marketing, and Journalism. Ali had been PR manager of Iran Video Games Foundation and also at various events such as Tehran Game Convention, Iran Games Cup, and Iran Games Festival. At VIGMA, Ali is the Founder of the event.
Arash Hackimi
Arash Hackimi is an Iranian video game journalist and game designer. Arash was a lecturer in Iran Game Development Institute, teaching history of video games, Video Games Genre and Video Games Journalism. He started working as a journalist in 2005 when he became an editor in Donya-ye-Bazi monthly magazine.
Saeed Zafarany
Saeed started his work as a video game journalist at the age of 15 when he joined Donya-ye-Bazi website as a translator in 2009. Soon after, he became deputy chief editor and administrator of that website. In 2014 after nearly 5 years of service at Donya-ye-Bazi he decided to found his own media and become independent. He is now Co-founder and Editor in Chief at Gamenews. Saeed also took the role of Editor in Chief at Bazinameh magazine in 2019. He serves as the PR manager at VIGMA.
Reza Gharalou
Reza has been writing since he can remember. His professional career started 10 years ago when he joined Donya-ye-Bazi magazine. He also writes articles for several magazines and websites of cinema and technology. He has no executive experience and only knows writing, so he considers himself a writer rather than anything else. He is currently the editor in chief of Donya-ye-Bazi’s website and collaborates with several other websites and magazines. Besides, his first book will soon be published and he officially joins the ranks of sci-fi novel writers.
Mohsen Vafanejad
Mohsen has been working as a journalist since he was 14 years old, translating and writing guides for games in Asr Ertebat magazine at that time when he also was active on video games related forums such as Bazinama and Bazicenter. His affection for Bazinama made him rearrange its website and write a few articles for the magazine at that time. Then he joined famous technology blog Narenji until its closure due to its admins’ detention, which forced him to start a completely new media with his colleagues called Digiato. 5 years after Digiato he decided it was time for a new branch that fully focused on video games, so he dragged his 12 years of experience to new horizons and made Vigiato possible. He is now Editor in Chief of Vigiato.