Seven cinematic works from Iran will participate in the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF), set to be held in Shanghai, China, from June 14 to 23.

According to The Iran Project, the Iranian participants include feature, documentary, and animated films, selected to be screened in different festival sections, Mehr reported.

“The Wasteman” directed by Ahmad Bahrami will represent Iran in the main competition section, vying for the Golden Goblet award.

The movie will compete with 13 other films from Spain, Argentina, Germany, France, Japan, Bangladesh, Italy, Georgia, Russia, Kazakhstan, and China.

A 2024 production, “The Wasteman” is about a middle-aged wagon driver, of a determined demeanor, who trundles a corpse toward the cemetery of a strange, silent village bereft of all apparent life.

Ali Bagheri is the sole actor in the 80-minute drama that will have its world premiere at this year’s SIFF.

“3 Days, 3 Murders” by Masoud Amini Tirani is the only Iranian film in the Asian New Talent Competition section, competing with 10 movies from India, Japan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Italy, and China.

A production of 2023, it is an experimental film about a house in which three people were murdered years ago and their bodies were buried there for five years.

Shadi Karamroudi, Sonia Sanjari, Behnaz Jafari, Hamid Pourazari, Sahand Kabiri, and Milad Rahimi play in the film that will have its world premiere during the 26th SIFF.

In the Documentary section, “Requiem for a Tribe” by Marjan Khosravi will be screened along with four other movies. 

Having its world premiere at the festival, Khosravi’s film is a joint production of Iran, Spain, and Qatar made in 2024.

The movie depicts Hajar who is betrayed by her family and forced to abandon her nomadic lifestyle. Climate change, personal, and political issues have drastically diminished the traditional migratory activities of the Bakhtiari tribe in Iran.

The animated short film “Aquatic” by Shiva Sadegh Asadi will have its Asian premiere in the Short Films section.

The 5-minute animation, made in 2024, is about a woman whose ability to give birth to marine creatures is exploited commercially.

“Extinction” by Behnoud Nekooei, a feature-length animation from Iran, will also be shown in the Animations section of the SIFF.

Also known as “Smart Kid,” the 3D animation has been titled the best-selling animation and children’s film in Iran. It had its national premier at the 41st Fajr Film Festival in Tehran last February, where it won the Best Animation award.  

Produced in 2023, it tells the story of Mohsen, a little boy who loves superheroes. He always tries to help anybody he comes across. Once he encounters an extinct Iranian species, he decides to help the animal return to his homeland. However, a trip to the heart of the jungle, fighting the hunters, and facing extinct creatures is the start of a complicated adventure for Mohsen.

The Iranian-German film “Empty Nets” by Behrooz Karamizade will be shown in the section Global Village: Focus Germany.

It tells the story of Amir and Narges, who have found genuine love in their coastal hometown near the Caspian Sea. However, to gain the approval of Narges' wealthy family, Amir requires a significant amount of money urgently. Faced with limited options, he secures a job at a nearby fishery, embarking on a dangerous yet profitable venture involving the illicit smuggling of black-market caviar.

Hamidreza Abbasi and Sadaf Asgari play the main roles in the film that won the special jury award at the 57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in Czech in July.

An Iranian film will also be screened in the section SIFF Special: Asian New Talent 20 Collection. “I'm Not Angry” by Reza Dormishian represents Iran in this section.

The 2014 production is the story of Navid, an expelled university student, who - while trying to provide the least requirements of a normal life - tries not to get angry when he is faced with the immoralities prevalent in society, and does all he can not to lose his love, Setareh.

Navid Mohammadzadeh, Baran Kosari, Milad Rahimi, Bahram Afshari, Reza Behbudi, Marjan Ghamari, Zahra Meygoli, Amin Miri, and Mehran Mirzaei are in the cast among others.

Founded in 1993, the Shanghai International Film Festival is the only competitive film festival in China approved by FIAPF.

SIFF focuses on awards, markets, forums, and film exhibitions to build an international platform and promote the development of the Chinese film industry.

In recent years, with the increasing growth of China’s economic strength and the rise of its international status, Chinese films have attracted more and more attention from people worldwide. SIFF, held in June annually, has become a great event for filmmakers worldwide, whose universal industry appeal, international influence, and effect on the world’s multicultural film culture and development of the film industry have also been praised by people inside and outside the industry.

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