AFI FEST 2018 to screen Iranian short ‘Umbra’

 The 2018 edition of the AFI FEST in the US has scheduled to screen Iranian short piece ‘Umbra’.

Directed by Saeed Jafarian and produced by Iranian actor Rambod Javan, the film will be screened at the short film competition section of the US event.

‘Umbra’ is about a young woman who realizes a few minutes after midnight that she is with no one. Worried, she goes out in the darkness of the streets.

It has previously taken part at the Cinéfondation section of the 71st Cannes Film Festival, the 2018 Vila do Conde film festival in Portugal, the 17th Silhouette Film Festival in France, and the 42nd Toronto International Short Film Festival in Canada.

The Iranian short film has also gone on screen at the 2018 Batumi International Art House Film Festival in Georgia as well as the 37th Uppsala International Short Film Festival in Sweden and is slated to be screened at the 27th St. Louis Film Festival in the US and the 14th MEDFILM Festival in Italy.

The Shorts section of AFI FEST 2018 will feature 47 films at the helm of filmmakers from all over the world, showcasing their distinct international viewpoints.

As the only juried section of the festival, the Grand Jury Award winners for Live Action and Animated Short will be eligible for the 2019 Best Live Action Short and Best Animated Short Academy Awards.

Last year, Iranian short film ‘Gaze’ by Farnoush Samadi won the grand jury award for Live  Action Short Film at the AFI FEST and was introduced to the Academy Award for Best Short Film (Live Action) for nomination consideration.

The AFI FEST is the American Film Institute's annual celebration of international cinema from modern masters and emerging filmmakers.

It takes place each fall in Hollywood, CA, and features nightly red-carpet galas, special screenings, conversations and tributes.

The AFI FEST remains the first and only festival of its stature that is free to the public, offering the best of current cinema in Hollywood.

The 2018 edition of the AFI FEST is slated for November 8-19 in Los Angeles, the US.

MG/AG