Iranian ‘White Winged Horse’ to fly over Tirana filmfest

Iranian short flick ‘White Winged Horse’ has been selected to go on screen at the Oscar-qualifying Tirana filmfest in Albania.

Directed by Mahyar Mandegar, the short film will be screened in the New World, a non-competitive section at TIFF.

It tells the story of a man who returns to his Iranian hometown, which was destroyed in a war some 20 years ago.

He is searching for his childhood friend who had promised him an eternal love – if he were to return as a white-winged horse.

Past and present overlap in the poetic memory and imagination of the boy he once was.

The 70th Berlin International Film Festival in Germany honored ‘White Winged Horse’ with a special mention at the Generation section (14plus).  

The jury panel of the Berlinale praised the short film, noting, “This film uses the audience’s imagination to build an exceptional world, following an unlikely protagonist who nonetheless inspires strong emotion.”

“When fantasy eventually re-connects with reality, we can feel as if we are flying away with the white winged horse,” the jury added.

The TIFF is an Oscar-qualifying event and the winner of the Best Short Award will be introduced to the Academy Awards.

Established in 2003, the TIFF is one of the most significant film festivals in the Balkans. The event brings together different cultures to interact with one another.

The upcoming edition of the festival will be held online due to the coronavirus pandemic on September 19-25, 2020.

Read more:

Iranian short ‘Talker’ to compete at Albanian fest

Tirana Int’l filmfest to present Iranian ‘Exam’

Berlin Int’l Film Festival honors ‘White Winged Horse’

MG/AG