It's Showtime @ the 14th Annual Iranian Film Festival - San Francisco

Due to the current pandemic situation, and the safety of the attendees, the Iranian Film Festival will be VIRTUAL this year, presenting a record-breaking 60 films at its 14th annual event, September 18-19, 2021. The on-Demand option [VOD] is also available from September 20 to 26, 2021. The films range from fiction, documentary, animation, shorts, children....to music video.

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African Violet

 

Director: Mona Zandi Haghighi, Iran, 93 minutes, Cast: Fatemah Motamed Aria, Saeed Aghakhani, Reza Babak, Mehdi Hosseinina, Roya Javidnia, Neda Jebraeili

 

Middle-aged Shokoo finds out that her ex-husband, Fereydoun, has been placed in a nursing home by their children. She, and her second husband Reza, decide to take care of Fereydoun themselves, but in their own home. In doing so, the relationship between Shokoo and Fereydoun is significantly transformed. This new situation affects Reza and Shokoo’s daily life and unexpected changes take place in the lives of all three characters.

KulbarF

Director: Milad Mansouri, 2021, Iran, 76 minutes, Cast: Hossein Soleimani, Hossein Mehri, Deniz Motevaseli, Mahtab Servati, Chia Babamiri, Ali Ferasati, Artin Amjadi, Payam Ahmadinia, Ali Ansarian

The story of workers who cross a difficult road and mountain with heavy loads to make a living and risk their lives. These loads that are illegal, lead to a conflict between a group of young people, the head of the smugglers and police.

 

Director: Abbas Amini, 2020, Iran, 102 minutes, Cast: Amir Hossein Fathi, Mani Haghighi, Hassan Pourshirazi, Baran Kosari

 

Amir is recently deported from France. Unemployed and idle, he is obliged to stay at his father’s house. For the sake of his father, he gets involved in a horrifying crime which consequently leads him towards the foreign currencies black market. But he knows that the mystery should be unfolded in the last act…

Domino

Director: Laleh Barzegar, 2019, Germany/Iran, 86 minutes, Cast: Sonia Sanjari, Arash Afif, Keyvan Mohammadi

Despite many disagreements between Yalda and her husband, she tries to maintain their relationship because of her fears. But their differences are increasing, and they are not compatible anymore and this causes their divorce. Because of family pressures and social judgments, Yalda keeps herself aloof from her relatives and hides her divorce. Home is no longer safe, and her family does not appreciate the pressure she is under. She extends her relationship with Hamed one of her classmates. As usual, marriage is her relationship purpose. But Hamed has another idea. Their interactions change both. Now Yalda is another person with another personality.

Director: Sahar Koshnam, 2019, Iran, 85 minutes, Cast: Massoud Kimiai, Shahrzad, Ali Abbasi, Reza Safaee, Shahla Lahiji

Women in Iran's Cinema; before the Revolution. A Cinema, unknown to the world and so oppressive to the women who worked in that industry.