2023 Belgrade festival picks ‘World War III’

Acclaimed Iranian feature film ‘World War III’ is set to take part in the 51st edition of the Belgrade International Film Festival - FEST in Serbia.

In “World War III”, director Hooman Seyyedi depicts Shakib, a homeless day laborer who never got over the loss of his wife and son in an earthquake years ago.

He works in a place where a movie on the World War is being filmed, and when one of the actors collapses, Shakib has been chosen as his stand-in.

Shakib is allowed to stay in the actor’s fake mansion, but on condition that he doesn’t receive any visitors, but he makes a decision that endangers his fate.

The film is co-written by Seyyedi himself, Arian Vazir-Daftari, and Azad Jafarian.

The cast members of the film include Mohsen Tanabandeh, Neda Jebreeli, Mahsa Hejazi, and Navid Nosrati.

The flick is the recipient of the Orizzonti Award for Best Film at the 79th Venice International Film Festival in Italy.

Mohsen Tanabandeh also received the award for best actor at the major international event for his portrayal of Shakib.

The film has already been screened at the 35th Tokyo International Film Festival where it won the second-place special jury prize of the event.

Two of the main awards of the 8th Asian World Film Festival- Los Angeles (AWFF) in the US are also among the accolades grabbed by the flick.

The 20th Chennai International Film Festival (CIFF) in India, the 34th Palm Springs Film Festival in the US, the 4th Hainan Island Int’l Film Festival (HIIFF) in China and the 26th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (POFF) in Estonia also hosted ‘World War III’.   

Recently, the flick grabbed a FIPRESCI Prize from the 34th Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) in the US.

The festival is one of the “most important festivals on the continent and a pillar event of the cultural life in Belgrade, as well as an indispensable element in the coming of age of many generations of film fans,” write the event’s official platform.

The event will take place from February 24 to March 5 in the Serbian capital.

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