‘Companion’ picked for New Orleans Film Festival
Iranian filmmaker Alireza Memariani’s short film ‘Companion’ has been selected for the 36th New Orleans Film Festival, scheduled for October 23-29, 2025, in the United States, the New Orleans Film Society announced.
The festival, launched in 1989 and recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in three short-film categories, has grown into a major platform for independent cinema worldwide. Its endorsement allows films screened in New Orleans to qualify for Oscar consideration, ILNA reported.
‘Companion’ portrays a single sequence from the life of Ali Zahedi, a fisherman from Hormuz Island in southern Iran, and his bond with a pigeon named Ghanbar. The bird, raised by Zahedi three years ago, flies alongside him every evening as he rides his motorcycle through the island’s roads. Organizers said the film captures an “extraordinary companionship” that has become a beloved attraction for visitors to Hormuz.
The New Orleans Film Festival, which draws international filmmakers each year, will present selections across narrative, documentary and animation shorts, along with features.