In the Name of God PUBLISHER Farabi Cinema Foundation No. 59, Sie Tir Ave., Tehran 11358, Iran Management: Tel: +98 21 66708545 / 66705454 Fax: +98 21 66720750 [email protected] International Affairs: Tel: +98 21 66747826 / 66736840 Fax: +98 21 66728758 [email protected] / [email protected] http://en.fcf.ir Editor in Chief: Raed Faridzadeh Teamwork by: Mahsa Fariba, Samareh Khodarahmi, Elnaz Khoshdel, Mona Saheb, Tandis Tabatabaei. Graphics, Layout & Print: Alireza Kiaei A SELECTION OF IRANIAN FILMS 2020 CONTENTS Films 6 General Information 126 Awards 136 Statistics 148 Films Film Title P.N Film Title P.N A BALLAD FOR THE WHITE COW 6 NO PLACE FOR ANGELS 64 ABADAN 1160 8 PLUNDER 66 AMPHIBIOUS 10 PUFF PUFF PASS 68 ATABAI 12 RELY ON THE WIND 70 BANDAR BAND 14 RESET 72 BECAME BLOOD 16 RIOT DAY 74 BONE MARROW 18 THE NIGHT 76 BORN OF THE EARTH 20 THE BLACK CAT 78 CARELESS CRIME 22 THE BLUE GIRL 80 CINEMA SHAHRE GHESEH 24 THE ENEMIES 82 CROWS 26 THE FOURTH ROUND 84 DAY ZERO 28 THE GOOD, THE BAD,THE INDECENT 2 86 DROWN 30 THE GREAT LEAP 88 DROWNING IN HOLY WATER 32 THE INHERITANCE 90 EAR RINGED FISH 34 THE LADY 92 EXCELLENCY 36 THE MARRIAGE PROJECT 94 EXODUS 38 THE RAIN FALLS WHERE IT WILL 96 FATHERS 40 THE REVERSED PATH 98 FILICIDE 42 THE SKIN 100 FORSAKEN HOMES 44 THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE 102 I’M HERE 46 THE STORY OF FORUGH’S GIRL 104 I’M SCARED 48 THE SUN 106 IT’S WINTER 50 THE UNDERCOVER 108 KEEP QUIET SNAIL 52 THE WASTELAND 110 KILLER SPIDER 54 TITI 112 LIFE AMONG WAR FLAGS 56 TOOMAN 114 LUNAR ECLIPSE 58 WALKING WITH THE WIND 116 NARROW RED LINE 60 WALNUT TREE 118 NO CHOICE 62 A BALLAD FOR THE WHITE COW (Ghasideye Gaveh Sefid) Directed by: Behtash Sanaeeha Synopsis: Written by: Behtash Sanaeeha, Maryam Mina’s husband has just been executed Moghadam, Mehrdad Kouroshnia for murder. A year later, she learns that her Producer: Seyed Gholamreza Mousavi husband was the victim of a miscarriage of DOP: Amin Ja’fari justice. Editor: Behtash Sanaeeha Costume & Production Design: Atoosa Ghalamfarsaei Sound-recordist & Design: Abdolreza Heidari, Hosein Ghoorchian Make-up: Kamran Khalaj Cast: Maryam Moghadam, Alireza Saanifar, Pouria Rahimi Sam, Aryan Pour Raoufi, Lili Farhadpour Iran, 2020, Color, DCP 2D, 5.1 Dolby Digital,139 mins. WorldProduction Sales: Company: Contact: Seyed Gholamreza Mousavi Email: [email protected] 6 Director’s Profile: Born in Shiraz in 1980, Behtash Sanaeeha holds a BA in civil engineering. He also began his master in Architecture and later on withdrew from his program and started writing scripts and directing short films, documentaries and commercials. Sanaeeha also wrote and directed two animated TV series and a TV fiction film. RISK OF ACID RAIN is his debut feature film which has won several awards in both Iranian and international festivals. Feature Films: 2015-RISK OF ACID RAIN, 2020- A BALLAD FOR THE WHITE COW. 7 ABADAN 1160 (Abadan 1160) Directed by: Mehrdad Khoshbakht Synopsis: Produced by: Hassan Kalaami The film is about the first 40 days of Iran- Written by: Mehrdad Khoshbakht, Hossein Iraq war in 1980, and the role and efforts of Torabnejad Abadan National Petrol Radio Station. DOP: Mehdi Jafari Editor: Sohrab Khosravi Costume & Production Design: Zahra Samadi, Jaafar Mohammad Shahi Music: Behzad Abdi Sound-recordist & Design: Jahangir Mirshekari, Alireza Alavian Make-Up: Mahmoud Dehghani Production Company: Owj Cinema Organization Cast: Alireza Kamali, Shabnam Goudarzi, Hassan Ma’jouni, Nader Soleimani. Iran, Color, 2020, 95 mins. World Sales: Owj Arts and Media Organization Tel: +98 21 4288 7000-1 Email: [email protected] Website: www.owjmedia.org 8 Director’s Profile: Born in 1969, Mehrdad Khoshbakht took the Khuzestan Youth Cinema course where he learned directing. In 1999, he made his first movie “FLIGHT” on the subject of the afterlife and went on to direct two other films “THE LAST JOURNEY” and” THE BRIDGE” on the same topic. Khoshbakht has made several movies, including “EXTRA TIME” (2007), “THE SOUND OF MY FOOT” (2010), and “EAGLE OF THE DESERT” (2012). Two series by Khoshbakht have been aired by iFilm, namely “THE DECIUS CITY “and “THE SINISTER MIND”. He has experienced editing and acting in some movies as well. Feature Films: 1999- THE FLIGHT, 2007- EXTRA TIME, 2010- THE SOUND OF MY FOOT, 2012- EAGLE OF THE DESERT, 2020- ABADAN 1160. 9 AMPHIBIOUS (Dozist) Written & Directed by: Borzou Niknejad Synopsis: Produced by: Saeed Khani Some people are amphibians; half spirit DOP: Alireza Barazandeh and half animal ... as spirits they belong Editor: Mehdi Saadi to the eternal world, but as animals they Costume & Production Design: Melody inhabit time. If they don’t go underwater, Ismaeeli, Amir Hossein Qodsi you will be crushed under the feet. Music: Arman Mousapour Sound-recordist & Design: Mehdi Saleh Kermani, Seyed Alireza Alavian Make-Up: Iman Omidvari Cast: Javad Ezatti, Hadi Hejazifar, Setareh Pesyani, Majid Norouzi. Iran, 2020, Color, Full HD, 95 mins. World Sales: Khaneh Film No. 21, West Jami Alley, Keyhan St., Moghadas Ardebili St. Tehran, 1986854454 IRAN Tel: +98 21 2680 1700 Website: http://www.khanehfilm.co Emails: [email protected] / [email protected] 10 Director’s Profile: Born in 1975 in Gorgan, Borzou Niknejad started his career in cinema in 2008 by participating as writer of the film THE COTTAGE, directed by Javad Afshar. He has been active in both cinema and television. In 2014, he directed his debut feature film, UN-WISHED(INADVERTENT), which was accepted in many international film festivals. Feature Films: 2014- INADVERTENT, 2016- ZAPAS, 2018- VESPIARY, 2020- AMPHIBIOUS. 11 ATABAI (Atabay) Directed & Produced by: Niki Karimi Synopsis: Written by: Hadi Hejazifar Atabai is a middle-aged architect who’s DOP: Saaman Lotfian been back from Tehran to his home village Editor: Hossein Jamshidi Gohari in Azerbaijan province. Due to his social Costume & Production Design: Asghar class and ethnicity, he has gone through Nejad Imani failure in love as a young university student. Music: Hossein Alizadeh Since then, by bringing prosperity to his Sound-recordist & Design: Kamran Kian Ersi, village, he has found respect and dignity Seyed Alireza Alavian among the ones who love him. Yet, his Make-Up: Imaan Omidvari sister’s suicide after her forced marriage at Cast: Hadi Hejazifar, Javad Ezati, Sahar the age of 15 keeps haunting him. He takes Dowlatshahi, Daniel Nourvash. care of his nephew, Aidin and a garden as Iran,2020, Color, 107 mins. two precious legacies of his sister. Despite being busy and successful with his work, Atabai feels lonely and scared to confront love again. World Sales: Noori Pictures/Katayoon Shahabi Tel.: +98 21 2286 3260-61 Fax: +98 21 2285 8962 Mobile: +33 (0)6 76 41 89 67 Email: [email protected] www.nooripictures.com 12 Director’s Profile: Born in 1971 in Tehran, Niki Karimi is one of the most famous, internationally acclaimed actress and filmmaker in Iran. She began her work as an actress with films such as “SARA” by Dariush Mehrjouii, which she won best actress award at “San Sebastian Film Festival and in Nantes Film Festival in 1992. After that she worked in more than 25 films which brought her awards both nationally and internationally such as awards at “Taormina Film Festival” in Italy, “Cairo Film Festival” in Egypt and “Fajr Film Festival” in Tehran, and Best Actress awards at Iranian Film Society. In 2001, she started film making by making a documentary about infertility named “TO HAVE OR NOT TO HAVE” which was the beginning of her career as a filmmaker. In 2004 she made her first feature film “ONE NIGHT” which was shown at “Uncertain regards” at Cannes film festival. After that “ONE NIGHT” has been shown in numerous international film festivals. In 2006, she made her second feature film “A FEW DAYS LATER” which premiered at “Rome Film Festival”. Feature Films: 2004- ONE NIGHT,2006- A FEW DAYS LATER, 2011- FINAL WHISTLE, 2015- NIGHT SHIFT, 2020- ATABAI. 13 BANDAR BAND (Bandar Band) Directed by: Manijeh Hekmat Synopsis: Written by: Manijeh Hekmat, Mostafa Zandi After a long time, some Iranian women Producers: Manijeh Hekmat, Mahshid singers are going to enter an unofficial Ahangarani competition in a coffee shop in Tehran. Line Producer: Afrouz Shadaki Pregnant Mahla along with the other DOP: Sajjad Avarand members of Bandar Band, her husband Editor: Navid Tohidi and one of their closest friends, starts Music: Farshad Fozouni her journey to Tehran from a southern Production Designer: Jafar Orouji province just when they have lost all they Costume Designer: Neda Nasr had in the flood. They still keep their hopes Sound: Arash Ghasemi alive, however every road they take leads Visual Effects: Reza Misaghi to a dead-end in a flood-stricken land. They Cast: Reza Koolghani, Pegah Ahngarani, intend to go to Tehran, but they wonder if it Amir Hossein Taheri, Mahdieh Mousavi. is just another turn around a vicious circle. Iran, 2020, Mini Alexa, DCP, 2K, Color, 1:1.85, 5.1, 75 Mins. World Sales: IRIMAGE (Int’l Dist.) [email protected] www.irimageco.com 14 Director’s Profile: Born in 1962, Manijeh Hekmat is one of the prominent figures in political cinema in Iran. In 1995, she started her film career as a producer. In 2002, based on her long studies and field-works, Hekmat directed her debut feature, WOMEN’S PRISON, on the situation of Iranian women prisoners. The film was premiered in Venice Film Festival and then entered the festival circuit. In 2007, her second film, THREE WOMEN, was shown in more than 80 international film festivals starting with Berlinale.