THE 10TH ANNUAL FARHANG FOUNDATION SHORT FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ITS TOP SIX FINALIST

 

THE 10TH ANNUAL FARHANG FOUNDATION SHORT FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ITS TOP SIX FINALIST

The only short film festival in the world celebrating Iranian cinema and culture returns for the tenth year with a red carpet awards ceremony on September 29 in its new home at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills.

LOS ANGELES, CA (August 29, 2018) – The Farhang Foundation Short Film Festival is pleased to announce the six talented finalists competing for three cash prizes at the tenth annual film festival. All six films will be screened on September 29, with the top three winners announced and awarded. The awards ceremony will be hosted by Iranian American comedian and actressMelissa Shoshahi(FOX, Laugh Factory, Nickelodeon). This red-carpet event is followed by an exclusive cocktail reception in honor of the filmmakers.
The short film festival is devoted to fostering cultural understanding and awareness of Iranian art and culture. It has also become a launching pad for filmmakers who have gone on to produce feature films and other larger projects after participating in the festival. “The Farhang Foundation Short Film Festival has had an immense influence on young Iranian filmmakers, encouraging them to create & present their own vision and share it globally through their work” said jury member, actress Mary Apick.
This year the award ceremony moves to the prestigiousWallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, and is generously sponsored by theCity of Beverly Hills.
The selected top six films cover the gamut of genres -narrative drama, experimental, and animation. As a group, they reveal a culture rich in film and storytelling. This year’s collection of films in competition represent one of the strongest and most riveting group of short films in the festival’s 10 year history. “I found this year’s participants mostly engaged with social content… A handful of them created visually stunning works” said Jury member and legendary filmmakerParviz Sayyad. “This year’s Farhang Film Festival amazed me, and made the decision making so hard for me” said award winning actress Gohar Kheirandish.

The Top Six Finalists

IF YOU GO AWAY by Soheila Golestani

Becauseof war, a couple has to immigrate to utopia. Difficult conditions seperated them from each other. A young woman fights for her destiny. Nowadays,everybody knows humans and war are two elements of life. Name of this fact is LIFE. Regarding this fact, everyday many people have to select one of these parts, death or separation.

KITCHEN DREAMS by Arvin Medghalchi

A lonely woman writes to find refuge in literature – where the power of words meets the power of dreams. The main message that this story carries is “to follow your dreams no matter what stands in your way, just dare to stand and fight for your right and freedom as a woman/as a human being.”

MORE THAN TWO HOURS by Ali Asgari

It’s 3 AM, a couple wanders the city.They are looking for a hospital to treat the young woman, but it turns out to be much more difficult to get treatment than they had expected.This film shows the picture of the young generation, in a semi-traditional society. Through the film the audience thinks about the lack of communication and effects of family limitations in Iranian society.

TEMPORARY by Behzad Azadi

Temporary explores the reality of life in Iran, and the tremendous sacrifices a single young mother needs to make in order to provide for her child. Sacrifices that in most cultures would seem unimaginable, but yet are sanctioned and approved by through religion and the establishment.

SCENT OF GERANIUM by Naghmeh Farzaneh

Immigration is a new chapter in one’s life, a chapter with unexpected events that can take one’s life down paths different from the one imagined. Each person’s experience is different yet still many similarities despite of the culture they are coming from. This film is an autobiographical account of the director’s experience with immigration.

TURQUOISE by Roozbeh Misaghi

The discovery of a mysterious black box in a small remote village in Iran causes turmoil among the villagers. All the villagers stopped farming and started digging holes into their land to look for the mysterious box in hope of the promised reward which was bliss. Turquoise tries to ground the absurdism in a realistic milieu in order to express the characteristics of a corrupt system, a system that feeds itself.

The Farhang Short Film Festival is open to filmmakers of any background. The only requirement is that the films pertain to an aspect of Iranian culture, such as the arts, history, lifestyle, crafts, geography, and politics. The top three winners will receive cash prizes of$10,000,$5,000, and$3,000. The films are all subtitled in English and can be screened by the public at FarhangFilmFest.org.
This year’s esteemed jury panel includes a who’s who in the Iranian and international film industry including living legend, actor, filmmaker and producer Parviz Sayyad; veteran actress of stage, screen and television Gohar Kheirandish; award winning actress and activist Mary Apick, filmmaker and Abbas Kiarostami collaborator, Adel Yaraghi, and jury chair Mark Amin, CEO of Sobini Films and Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Farhang Foundation.
Tickets for the September 29th Award Ceremony and after party can now be purchased via TheWallis.org
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