‘Mould’ wins top Asian talent prize at Baku festival
Iranian short film ‘Mould,’ written and directed by Mohammadreza Nourmandipour, clinched the Best Film Award in the Asian Talents Competition at the 16th Baku International Film Festival in the Azerbaijani capital.
The prize was announced on December 9 at the close of the festival, which ran from December 5 to 9 in Baku and drew submissions from more than 1,500 films worldwide, IRNA reported.
‘Mould’ was produced by Nourmandipour alongside Leila Haghani.
The jury singled out the Iranian entry for what it described as its “precise storytelling” and restrained visual language, elevating it above regional competitors in the Asian Talents section, a competitive strand dedicated to emerging filmmakers across the continent.
Founded in 2004 by Azerbaijan’s Young Filmmakers Centre, the Baku International Film Festival, previously known as START International Short Film Festival, has steadily carved out a place on the regional circuit.
Backed by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Culture and the Azerbaijan Film Agency, the event has increasingly positioned itself as a launchpad for films that later surface at major global showcases, including Cannes, Venice and Berlin.
Earlier this year, the film took the Best International Short Film Award at the 20th Shorts Mexico Film Festival in Mexico City. The film has also secured competition slots at Curtas Vila do Conde in Portugal, the Brussels Short Film Festival in Belgium, the ZOOM International Short Film Festival in Poland and the Fresno International Short Film Festival in the United States.
The 15-minute drama centers on a father grappling with loss after the death of his wife and attempting to raise his young son “on his own terms,” a narrative that unfolds through sparse dialogue and controlled performances.