US fest to host Iran’s ‘Witness’

The Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) in the US has been set to screen Iranian short flick ‘Witness’.

Directed by Ali Asgari, the 15-minute film is among the competition titles at the 25th edition of the US event.

‘Witness’ is about a mother who helps an elderly woman in a shopping mall in Tehran while her daughter waits impatiently for her in the car. A tragedy occurs, brutally confronting her with the impact of her actions.

The script of the short flick has been put together by Asgari and Farnoush Samadi.

The film has so far taken part in a number of global events, including the Annapolis Film Festival in the US, the Dhaka International Film Festival in Bangladesh, and the BFI London Film Festival in the UK.

Asgari as an internationally-recognized cineaste has been a jury member at some global events such as the Tirana International Film Festival in Albania.

Launched in 1997, the RIIFF takes place every year in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island as well as satellite locations throughout the state.

It is among the world's 10 best short film festivals. It is held with the aim of providing artistic opportunities for independent filmmakers and to discover young talents among those filmmakers.

The RIIFF has been a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards since 2002.

This year’s edition of the fest is slated for August 09- 15.

AA/MG