Canberra short filmfest awards 3 Iran titles

The 24th edition of the Canberra Short Film Festival (CSFF) in Australia has awarded three Iranian titles.

The festival’s Highly Commended Award went to ‘Greyish’, a short animated piece by Eqbal Shirazi-Sani.

The animation is about a woolen old man and his stages of life as a metaphor for everyone’s lives.

It had previously taken part at global events such as the Edmonton International Film Festival in Canada and the Cartoon Club – International Festival of Animation Cinema, Comics and Games in Italy.

‘Extra Sauce’ written and directed by Iranian filmmaker Alireza Qasemi also won the Best Screenplay award.

‘Extra Sauce’ is about Hans, a mediocre, heartbroken actor, who is greeted by Angel of Death after attempting suicide an hour before his play’s premiere. A sarcastic conversation begins as Hans tries to convince the angel that he should be brought back to the world of the living while the angel enjoys delicious cheeseburgers and lemonade, and gives the actor relationship advice.

The third selected title ‘You're Still Here’, co-directed by Katayoun Parmar and Mohammad Rouhbakhsh, won the Best Cinematography award of the festival.

‘You Are Still Here’ tells the story of a young couple. Their matrimonial life is on the verge of collapse due to the sudden blindness of the man, but they try to hold on to their past to save the life.

Running for 24 years, as a competition-based festival, the CSFF screens the best of short flicks, from Australia and around the globe, across 6 locations in Canberra.

The 23rd CSFF was held on September 13-20, 2019.

MG/AG