Iran’s ‘Malakout’ vying in Azerbaijan

The 3rd edition of the Animafilm - Baku International Animation Festival in Azerbaijan has been screening Iranian scary animation ‘Malakout’ (Divinity).

Directed by Farnouosh Abedi, the 11-minute animation is contending for the Grand Prix at the short animated film competition.

The animation is about a piano player who has lost one of his hands, trying to bring his wife back to life, and can’t play the piano anymore.

Doctors decide to transplant a dead criminal’s hand to his body. The new hand awakens the devil inside him and the pianist starts killing people.

“Music was his passion… Love was his masterpiece…” a short synopsis for the animation reads.

‘Malakout’ received an honorary diploma at the Silk Road International Film Festival in Ireland, the best animation award at the Black Country Horror Shorts Film Festival in the UK, and two awards at the Florida Animation Festival of the US.

The animation has gone on screen at many global events, including the Crystal Palace International Film Festival in the UK, the Guadalajara International Film Festival in Mexico, the Galactic Imaginarium Film Festival in Spain, and the Annual USA Film Festival, and the Wolves Independent International Film Festival in Lithuania, where it was honored with the special award.

Most recently, it competed at “In the Palace” Short Film Festival in Bulgaria, the Tulipoff International Film Festival in Denmark, the Shanghai International Film Festival in China, and the Izmir International Short Film Festival in Turkey, where it won the awards for Best Short Film and Best Music.

The Excellence Award at the biennial Hiroshima International Animation Festival in Japan, a Vitruvian award at the DaVinci International Film Festival in the US, and best short film award at the Cryptshow Festival in Spain are also among the honors achieved by ‘Malakout’.

Nancy Denney-Phelps, a well-known Belgian journalist, is the president of the jury for animated films at the Animafilm. The jury is composed of Olivier Catherin from France, Daria Kashcheeva from Czech, Zurab Diasamidze from Georgia and Shamil Najafzada from Azerbaijan.

The jury for the screenplay section is composed of Aaron Wood from England, Mohammad Zare and Rana Vaezi from Iran, Alena Polikowska from Russia and Oleg Safaraliyev from Azerbaijan.

The 3rd edition of the Animafilm - Baku International Animation Festival is slated for October 14-18, 2020.

Read more:

Izmir Int’l Short Film Festival awards Iran’s ‘Malakout’

‘Malakout’ scoops award at Wolves Independent Int’l filmfest

‘Malakout’ crowned at Hiroshima Int’l Animation Festival

DaVinci filmfest awards Iranian ‘Malakout’

‘Malakout’ awarded at Cryptshow Festival

MG/MG