Iranian director wins award at Barcelona festival
Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Reza Ardalan has won the Best Director Award in the Other Narratives section of the 14th Asian Film Festival Barcelona for “Poultry Farm”, a film that has earned recognition at several international festivals.
Written and directed by Ardalan, the film follows Hawar, a homeless, undocumented Kurdish teenager who crosses from Iraq into Iran in search of work.
He finds a job at a remote poultry farm on the outskirts of Tehran. When the only worker he has befriended disappears, Hawar sets out to find him and uncovers exploitation, fear and violence. The film blends mystery and social drama to explore the vulnerability of undocumented migrants.
Madakto Pictures began distributing the film internationally in 2025. It was previously titled “Faryad”.
“Poultry Farm” has already won two awards at Russia's Mary Ann International Ethnic Film Festival: best screenplay for Ardalan and a special jury award for best music for composer Navid Hejazi.
It has also been selected for the 17th Puerto Rico International Film Festival, the second Kathmandu Horror Film Festival in Nepal and the 57th International Film Festival of India in Goa, western India.
The Barcelona prize recognizes Ardalan's work in the Other Narratives category, not the festival's overall competition.