Over 7,000 films to take part in TISFF
Spain leads the competition
The 40th Tehran International Short Film Festival (TISFF) witnessed a groundbreaking international presence this year, with a record-breaking submission of 7,216 short films from 31 countries. Spain led the pack with 913 entries, according to the festival’s secretary.
The festival’s first press conference was held on August 21, IRNA wrote.
Speaking at the conference, Mehdi Azarpendar highlighted that this year’s festival, marking its 40th round, released the call for international entries before the start of the new year, while the national call was announced in late April. Since the festival achieved OSCAR qualification level, its schedule has been consistently maintained, aligning with previous editions.
Azarpendar added that the festival received 1,787 national submissions and a record-breaking 7,216 from 31 countries in the international category. Among the national entries, there were 1,185 narratives, 267 documentaries, 222 experimental films, and 113 animations.
In the International Section, a total of 3,390 narratives, 1,068 documentaries, 1,112 experimental films, and 936 animations were submitted to the festival’s secretariat.
Azarpendar noted the substantial demand from filmmakers this year, many of whom were in post-production and sought additional time, leading to a 10-day extension of the festival’s schedule.
Azarpendar revealed that two new categories, “Truth Seekers” and “Silk Road,” were added to the International Section this year. Spain led with 913 entries, followed by India with 553, France with 494, the United States with 448, and China with 413, in terms of the submitted works.
The festival’s motto, “A Mirror for All of Iran,” seeks to portray diverse cultures, rituals, urban life, and ethnic diversity across the nation through filmmaking. This year, the emphasis remains on national and religious identities, storytelling, and genre in cinema.
Azarpendar highlighted that, unlike the previous year, this edition features an opening ceremony, and plans are in place to commemorate the festival’s 40th anniversary. The ceremony will also provide an opportunity to award winners in the festival’s supplementary categories.
The Iranian Youth Cinema Society, as the principal organizer of the short film domain in the country, aims to recognize and introduce selected short works on a national and international level. It seeks to catalyze competition among filmmakers and nurture the creativity of young cinema artists through its 40th Tehran International Short Film Festival, featuring both national and international sections.
The 40th Tehran International Short Film Festival will take place from October 19 to October 24 under the auspices of Azarpendar in Tehran.