IFFA AT THE MERCURY
See Iranian Film Festival screenings at the Mercury Cinema.
THE 11TH Iranian Film Festival AUSTRALIA
Now in its 11th year, the Iranian Film Festival Australia is the only nation-wide Australian Festival dedicated to Iranian Cinema. Our aim is to showcase a diverse range of the best and most interesting of current Iranian cinema, One of the world’s most exhilarating national cinemas, and through cinema to introduce Iranian culture to other Australians, providing a better cultural understanding.
Join us for a celebration of resilience and creativity in Iranian cinema.
Despite challenging times, the unwavering spirit of storytelling shines brightly.
Immerse yourself in the mesmerizing world of Iranian cinema, where creativity knows no bounds and storytelling transcends borders.
Get ready to be captivated by a carefully curated selection of thought-provoking, heartwarming, and award-winning films that showcase the rich cultural tapestry of Iran.
GALA EVENT 1ST DEC 7:00PM
The Locust/ ملخ
Iran / Germany, 2022, 79 min
Written and directed by: Faeze Azizkhani
Producers: Manijeh Hekmat (Bamdad Film), Mahshid Ahangarani Farahani (Bamdad Film)
Cast: Hanieh Tavassoli, Pegah Ahangarani Farahani, Ali Mosaffa, Pedram Sharifi, Ramin Sadighi, Amaneh Agharezakashi, Ahmad Azizkhani, Majid Azizkhani, Dorna Madani.
SYNOPSIS
Hanieh is a broke forty-year-old woman on the verge of being thrown out of her apartment by her landlord. She has tried to make a film based on her own semi-autobiographical script for years, but after accepting that she has no luck to fulfill her dream, she has no other choice than selling the script to one of her best friends who is capable of directing the film. Due to her love for the script and its details, Hanieh is not able to tolerate any indifferent and ignorant reactions during the preproduction stages, but she decides not to get involved in any conflict with the director, the cast and the crew. However, during the reading rehearsal, when others begin to judge her character as described in the script and name her a bastard and a loser, Hanieh loses her temper and gets anxious. At her friend’s office, the investor calls off the project and Hanieh’s mother appears to force her to sell her diseased father’s house, the situation gets more and more complicated.
DECEMBER 2ND
Beyond The Wall/ شب، داخلی، دیوار
Iran, 2022, 126 min
Written and directed by: Vahid Jalilvand
Producer: Ali Jalilvand
Cast: Navid Mohammadzadeh, Diana Habibi, Amir Aghaee, Saeed Dakh, Danial Kheirikhah, Alireza Kamali.
Synopsis: Ali, a blind man, is attempting to commit suicide when he is interrupted by the concierge of his building. He is informed that the police is in search of a woman who has escaped and hidden somewhere in the building. Little by little, Ali finds out that the fugitive woman, Leila, is inside his apartment. After participating in a workers’ protest that led to chaos, she is distraught about her four-year-old son who was lost when she was taken in a police van. Gradually, Ali becomes emotionally attached to her. Wishing to flee reality, helping Leila becomes a refuge in his own world of imagination.
2 DEC 7:00PM
Dark Matter / ماده تاریک
Iran, 2023, 83min.
Writen & directed by: Karim Lakzadeh
Producer: Arash Jooyandeh
Cast: Mahdis “Shaadab” Mahdiyar, Iman Sayyadborhani, Keivan Parmar, Raha Soleimani
Synopsis: An actor and actress are brought together during a casting for a mainstream film. They don’t get the roles, so they decide to make their own film instead. This will be a movie which defies the censorship rules, a film in which anything goes, and its makers won’t be held back by anything or anyone. The pair become a threesome when they get hold of a cameraman and director named Ziya, and the enchanting adventure can now begin. A burglary (the movie has to be financed somehow) marks the start of not only the shoot, but also a joyride, a game and a celebration of friendship and film. Dark Matter is a latter-day nod to the French New Wave and likewise a highly contemporary piece that reminds us why films are both a joy to make and to watch.
2 DEC 9:30PM
DECEMBER 3RD
Kiarostami at Work / کیارستمی مشغول کار است
Documentary, Iran, 2023, 76 min.
Director & Producer: Seifollah Samadian
Synopsis: ‘Kiarostami at Work’ is a documentary showcasing Abbas Kiarostami’s boundless passion for work and creativity. The film features images captured by Seifollah Samadian during their thirty years of friendship and travels together, including behind-the-scenes footage of ‘Shirin’, ‘Certified Copy’ by the late Hamideh Razavi, and ‘Taste of Cherry’ by Bahman Kiarostami.
Juliette Binoche, Martin Scorsese, and some others have shared insights into Kiarostami’s creative works.
Throughout more than five decades of his life, Kiarostami engaged in diverse artistic pursuits, from cinema to poetry, making him a symbol of honour for the word ‘work’.
3 DEC 5:00PM
Winners / برنده ها
Iran, 2023, 83min.
Written and directed by: Hassan Nazer
Cast: Reza Naji, Hossein Abedini, Parsa Maghami, Helia Mohammad Khani, Malalai Zikria, Shahrzad Kamalzadeh.
Synopsis: In a poor Iranian village, the children work hard to support their families. One day nine-year- old Yahya and his friend Leyla find a precious statuette in the desert. As the authorities search for the lost treasure, sharing Yahya’s passion for cinema, Yahya’s boss Nasser Khan (Reza Naji) decides to help the children find its rightful owner.
3 DEC 7:30PM
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