Copy in clipboard...
Iranian films win top int’l honors; animation heads to Polish festival
Iranian cinema productions earned international recognition this week, with the short film “These Voices Are Real” winning four awards at overseas festivals, the documentary “I Won’t Remain Alone” receiving the top prize at an Italian film festival, and the animated feature “Dream City” securing a place in competition at a children's film festival in Poland.
“These Voices Are Real” written and directed by first-time filmmaker Baran Nikrah and co-produced by Nikrah and actress Hoda Zeinolabedin, collected four awards during its early international festival run.
The social drama, which focuses on the lived experiences of women and girls in contemporary society, received the Audience Special Award, the Raspin Spirit Award and an Honorable Mention from the international jury at the 38th Minimalen Short Film Festival in Trondheim, Norway. The film later won a Best Director award at the Golden Grape Short Film Festival and was recently screened in competition at SXSW London.
The film stars Zeinolabedin and Dorin Afsharian.
Meanwhile, the documentary “I Won’t Remain Alone”, directed by Yaser Talebi and produced by Talebi and Fariba Arab, won the Francesco Pasinetti Award for Best Film at the 23rd Pasinetti Film Festival in Italy.
The award, the festival's highest honor, was selected from more than 2,000 submissions from around the world.
The documentary follows an elderly couple whose child suffers brain death and whose decision to donate the child's organs transforms the lives of recipients and their own understanding of loss. The film revisits the family five years later to examine the lasting impact of that decision.
Festival jurors praised the film for its portrayal of grief, memory and human resilience, citing its sensitive direction and cinematography.
The Pasinetti Film Festival was held from May 28 to May 30 in Italy.
Separately, Iranian animated feature “Dream City”, directed by Mohsen Enayati and produced by Mostafa Hassanabadi, was selected for the main competition section of the 11th Kinolub International Film Festival for Children and Youth in Poland.
The film, produced by the Soureh Animation Center, will compete alongside international entries at the festival, which runs from June 14 to June 27 across several cities in southern Poland.
Festival organizers said winners would be announced on June 25 by both professional international juries and youth juries.
The selection marks another international appearance for Iranian animation as filmmakers seek to expand their presence in European markets and festivals.