Iranian film ‘Under the Shady Oak’ wins top jury prize in Bulgaria
Iranian short film ‘Under the Shady Oak’, written and directed by Hossein Allahyari, won the Special Jury Prize at the 22nd edition of Bulgaria’s In the Palace International Short Film Festival.
The Oscar- and Goya-qualifying festival, held from June 28 to July 5 in Bulgaria, praised the film’s “haunting atmosphere” and “powerful visuals,” calling it a deeply resonant exploration of family tensions and generational legacies. The win marks the film’s international debut, IRNA reported.
Founded in 2003, In the Palace has become one of Europe’s leading platforms for young filmmakers and professionals in the short film circuit. The jury described ‘Under the Shady Oak’ as “a sensory and immersive experience” and a “symbolic narrative of endurance, sacrifice, and the unspoken bonds across generations.”
Allahyari’s film had already made waves in Iran, winning Best Film, Best Screenplay, and Best Sound Design at the 41st Tehran International Short Film Festival. It also received the National Will Manifestation Award at the 43rd Fajr Film Festival.
The cast includes Amin Sha’rbaf, Fathollah Taheri, Yousef Safari Bakhtiari, Morteza Alidadi, Sepas Rezaei, Sima Sadeghi, and Parham Gholamloo.
International distribution is handled by Cinerama, led by Neshat Bagheri.