Iran-Afghan feature to go to Busan fest

Iranian feature ‘Rona, Azim′s Mother’ has been selected to go on screen at the 23rd edition of the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in South Korea.

Directed and written by Jamshid Mahmoudi, the Iranian film will go on screen at the “A Window on Asian Cinema” section of the Korean festival.

Produced by the director’s brother, Navid Mahmoudi, the 89-minute flick narrates the story of Azim.

Azim, an Afghan refugee who works at the municipality at night, lives in Tehran along with his family.

Being the family’s head, he must choose between his own life and his mother’s, whom he claims is the most important one in his life.

Mohsen Tanabandeh, Mojtaba Pirzadeh, Fatemeh Hosseini, Fereshteh Hosseini, Fatemeh Mirzaei, Alireza Ostadi, and Saeed Changizian are among ‘Rona, Azim′s Mother’ cast.

“A Window on Asian Cinema” section is dedicated to various styles and visions within Asian cinema, highlighting the films of this year's most talented Asian filmmakers as well as the work of directors already established within the industry.

The BIFF, held annually in Haeundae-gu, Busan, South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia.

Launched in 1996 as the first international film festival in Korea, the BIFF is introducing new films and first-time directors, especially those from Asian countries.

The 23rd edition of the BIFF is slated for October 4-13 in the South Korean city of Busan.

MG/MG