Iran’s animation to vie at US fest

Iranian short animation ‘Malakout’ (Divinity) is listed among the selected works to take part in the 2021 Jacksonville Film Festival (JFF) in the US.

Farnoush Abedi’s acclaimed short film will be screened at the Animation competition section of the 15th edition of the American event, which is subtitled the Turning Point.

Another Iranian animation titled ‘Echo’ directed by Barzan Rostami is also among the 14 works to screen at this category of the film fest. 

‘Malakout’ is about a pianist who makes a deal with the angle of death when he comes to claim his wife’s life. The musician asks the angle to take his hands instead of her life”.

“Music was his passion… Love was his masterpiece,” a tagline for the short film reads.

‘Malakout’ has already participated in a number of film events, such as the Guadalajara International Film Festival in Mexico, the Brooklyn International Film Festival, the Capital City Film Festival, both in the US, and the Galactic Imaginarium Film Festival in Spain.

It has won several awards, including the Special Mention Short award at the Silk Road International Film Festival in Ireland and the Best Animation award at the Black Country Horror Shorts Film Festival in the UK.

Founded in 2002, the mission of the JFF is to celebrate motion pictures by discovering and showcasing new talents to rejuvenate the film industry by creating an atmosphere that immerses the filmmakers with their audience and community.

The festival is an opportunity for filmmakers to be recognized for their cinematic achievements while creating an event to reward the best works submitted to the festival.

The 15th edition of the event is slated for February 5-10, 2021.

AA/FM