Muslim festival honors Iranian film 'Saad’s Olive Tree'

Iranian film 'Saad’s Olive Tree' has grabbed an award at the 14th edition of the Kazan International Festival of Muslim Cinema in Tatarstan.

Directed by Ahmad Zayeri, the film received the award for best short film during the closing ceremony of the festival.

The 22-minute ‘Saad’s Olive Tree’ tells the story of Saad, a boy with big dreams who loves football. He loses his eyes and friends in a mortar explosion and subsequently locks himself up at home. Then his mother encourages him to go out again with so many efforts and creativity.

The film has so far won the awards for Audience Choice, Best Dubbing and Best Kid Actor from the Irvington film festival in the US, Best film award from the Earl Court International Film Festival in the UK, and Best Screenplay award from Pakistan’s Asia Peace Festival.

Best Director Award and the jury’s special mention for Best Film at the 14th Manchester International Short Film Festival in the UK and nomination for Best Dramatic Short Film award at the 2017 Taipei Children Film Festival in Taiwan are also among ‘Saad’s Olive Tree’ achievements.

It has gone on screen at the 6th Delhi International Film Festival in India, the 16th Garden State Film Festival in the US, the 9th Skepto International Film Festival in Italy, and the DYTIATKO International Children’s Television Festival in Ukraine.

Launched in 2005, the Kazan International Festival of Muslim Cinema is being held in the capital city of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan.

The festival screens products which promote peaceful ideas, humanity and intercultural dialogue.

The motto of the festival is 'To the dialogue of cultures through the culture of dialogue'.

The 14th edition of the festival was held on September 4-10, 2018.

MG/FM