Iranian-Australian fest screening ‘Driving Lessons’

‘Driving Lessons’ has been competing at the 10th edition of the Iranian Film Festival Australia (IFFA).

The short film went on the Australian screens in Perth and Brisbane and will be screened in Sydney and Melbourne this June.

Directed by Marzieh Riahi, the 13-minute flick is about Bahareh, who must have her traditional chauvinistic husband accompany her during driving lessons so that she and her instructor are not left together without a third party’s presence.

‘Driving Lessons’ is starring Linda Kiani, Alireza Sanifar, Salar Khamseh, and Sanaz Mesbah.

The short film has received a number of awards at events such as the Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival in Armenia, the “I Will Tell” international film festival in the UK, the Topaz Film Festival by Women in Film Dallas in the US, the Religion Today Film Festival in Italy, the Film Festival for Women's Rights in South Korea, the Through Women’s Eyes International Film Festival in the US, the Annual Big Muddy Film Festival in the US, the Ojai Film Festival in the US, and qualification for the short film category of the Oscars 2020.

‘Driving Lessons’ won the Audience Award for the Best Film at the 25th Aichi International Women’s Film Festival in Japan, the 2nd Best Short film award at the 12th SiciliAmbiente film festival in Italy, and the Best Screenplay Award at the 2020 Beirut International Women Film Festival in Lebanon.

Nominated for the best international short film award at the International Festival of Granada - PREMIOS LORCA in Spain, most recently, it garnered three awards at the 4th edition of the Cinevoyage Film Festival in India, was named the Best Fiction Film at the Karama Yemen Human Rights Film Festival, and won the Fox and Goose jury second prize at the Hebden Bridge Film Festival in the UK.

The short flick has also gone on screen at several global events, including the Through Women’s Eyes International Film Festival in the US, the International Short Film Festival of Vinaròs in Spain, the Kazan Muslim Film Festival in Russia, the Washington DC International Film Festival in the US, the Osnabrück Independent Film Festival in Germany, the Festival de Cine de Granada in Spain, the Rabat International Author Film Festival in Morocco, and Filmfest Frauen Welten ‘Terre Des Femme’ in Germany.

The IFFA helps better familiarize the Australian audience with Iranian culture, featuring Iranian stories in movie theaters in the various cities of Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra.

The 2021 edition of the event is underway online and in-person on May 20–June 30.

Read more:

Indian Cinevoyage filmfest awards ‘Driving Lessons’

Karama Yemen awards ‘Driving Lessons’

Iranian ‘Driving Lessons’ wins in the UK

Spain’s Vinaròs learning Iranian ‘Driving Lessons’

‘Driving Lessons’ shortlisted in Manhattan filmfest

Iranian ‘Driving Lessons’ on Manhattan Short fest “must have” list

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MG/AG