PROGRAM
Choice of Kanazawa
This project, which began last year as an open competition for international films, will screen 41 films selected from 335 submissions this year - a unique multinational collection of films and directors from all continents, nearly all being shown in Japan for the first time. Come and discover new talent! Grand Prix awards will be presented to outstanding feature films and short films.
*All films have ENGLISH & JAPANESE SUBTITLES.
The Situation of Mahdi
2020, Iran, 97 mins, Persian
Mehdi Bakeri, an Iranian war hero in the Iran-Iraq war. the commander of the 31st Ashura Division, wants his younger brother Hamid to return to the area and be by his side. Featuring intense battle scenes filmed without CG.
9.6(Fri) 10:00
Director: Hadi Hejajifar Mainly active as an actor, appearing in many Iranian films, nominated for and won many awards.
Women According to Men
2023, Iran, 90 mins, Persian
A documentary featuring an archive of 4,000 hours of Iranian films from 1932 to before the revolution in 1979, showcasing the image of women at that time.
9/5(木) 16:00
Director: Saeed Nouri Earned a master's degree at Tehran University of the Arts and a doctorate in film studies at the University of Saint-Quentin in Versailles.
...Until
2023, Iran, 14 mins
In 2022, a memorial demonstration called Women, Life, Freedom took place across Iran in memory of a woman who was killed by police for not wearing her hijab correctly. This is an improvised, one-take, dialogue-free work filmed on an iPhone at that time. Women remove their hijabs and walk, run, and dance in the streets.
9.8(Sun) 17:05
Director: Tanin Torabi After earning a master's degree in contemporary dance performance at the University of Limerick, she became a member of the performance group 'School of Hard Knocks' led by Yoshiko Nakama.
OVERFLOW
2023, Iran, 18 mins, Persian
A girl who wants to do something about her parents' discord unconsciously becomes the mediator in the family, but this role makes her mentally unstable. This film depicts the inner world of a girl who is emotionally numb and in desperate need of help in a colorful fantasy.
9.8(Sun) 17:05
Director: Nahal Dashti Graduated from Sule University with a degree in film direction. He is currently active in Iran as an actor in film, television, and theater.
The Baggage
2023, Iran, 15 mins, Arabic/Persian
A single mother flees from a fanatical land. The father comes to kill her and her child, but she puts the child to sleep with sleeping pills and puts him in a bag. When the child wakes up and comes out of the bag, he finds himself in a desert filled with monstrous men.
9.8(Sun) 17:05
Director:Hasti Hosseini After graduating with a Master's in Theatre Directing from the Faculty of Arts and Architecture, she began her career as a costume and set designer for stage and film.
Aporia
2023, Iran, 14 mins, Persian
Before the resurrection of Christ, before Van Gogh's suicide, before the invention of the guillotine during the French Revolution, even before Adam bites into the forbidden fruit, someone asks an unsolvable question that no one can give a proper answer to.
9.8(Sun) 17:05
Director: Soheil Soheili Active in Iran as a director, screenwriter, and actor, working on short films and stage productions.
Skunk
Iran, 2023, 12 minutes
"1. You shall have no other gods before Me." From the Ten Commandments of Moses. An old man wandering in the wilderness, dressed in rags. Eventually, he discovers a mountain piled high with an enormous number of skeletons... An experimental film without dialogue.
9.8(Sun) 17:05
Director Venus Khodadoustan Born in 1989. Completed the Masterclass of L'ESEC (École supérieure d'études cinématographiques) Paris in 2017. This is her debut film.
The Steak
2023, Iran, 9 mins
Preparation for a birthday party turns into a horrific event with a tragedy. A dialogue-free work that depicts war in a constructive, symbolic, and dramatic way without dialogue.
9/8(日）17:05
Director: Kiarash Dadgar Received a master's degree in theater literature from Soreh University of the Arts. This film, his first directorial work, has won numerous awards and nominations at film festivals around the world, including the Sundance Film Festival.
Dreamy Fragrance of Spring Blossoms
2023, Iran, 13 mins, Persian
A mother and father continue to wait for their son who went to war. Is the son already dead? Or are they still waiting for their son even though their mother and father are already dead? Or are they all dead?
9.8(Sun) 17:05
Directors: Hera Khanmirzaei and Amirhosein Saqafi Hera is a student, majoring in cinema at Tehran University of Art. She's been active in short films and editing. Amirhosein has graduated in Dramatic Literature with an MA degree at TUA; he has made several short films.
JAGG: Pieces Of Life
2022, Pakistan, 70 mins, Urdu
Through the experiences of several characters depicting some of the bitter aspects of life, such as death, sadness, loneliness, and heartbreak, we explore the path to recovering a sense of true spirituality. This fantastic images, with a night city that looks like a set, shot entirely on location, and singing that colors the screen.
9.8(Sun) 15:35
Director: Mehroz Amin He started his career as a photographer and worked for NGOs, but gradually began to make short films, which were selected for film festivals around the world, including the Cannes Film Festival. This is his first feature-length film.