Travelling around the world, Nima Javidi’s highly acclaimed family drama will be screened at the 5th Luxembourg City Film Festival, February 26-March 8.
The 90 minute film, starring Payman Moaadi and Negar Javaherian, tells the story of a young Iranian couple, who after years of planning what promises to be a momentous change, are about to embark on a new life to study abroad. But just as they are preparing to set off on their journey to Melbourne, the unexpected happens.
The movie’s international premiere was at the Critics’ Week section of last year’s Venice film festival, Italy. It has since won several prestigious awards from top international festivals including, Best Screenplay at the 8th annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) in Australia; the Best Director, Best Script and the Young Jury Prize for Best Feature Film at the 52nd Gijon International Film Festival in Spain.
It has also won Silver Astor Award for Best Actress in the 29th Mar del Plata International Film Festival, Argentina; the Golden Pyramid Prize for Best Film at the 36th Cairo International Film Festival, and the Best Script prize at the 25th Stockholm Film Festival.
Recently, ‘Melbourne’ received the Special Jury Award at the 21st Vesoul International Festival of Asian Cinema, France.
Other than the film, a young director from Iran, Morteza Farshbaf, will be present at the festival, among the jurors of the international section. He will also hold a master class discussing views on Iranian cinema.
Farshbaf (born in 1985) has been working in cinema as director, writer, editor and cinematographer and has directed 5 short films since 2004.
He directed his first feature film ‘Mourning’ in 2010. The film won several prizes including the FIPRESCI Prize for the best film of the year in Pusan International Film Festival 2011; the Netpac Award at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2011 in Estonia; the Lotus Award for the best film and a mention of the Critic’s Jury at Deauville Asian Film Festival 2011 in France. His second film ‘The Avalanche’ was screened at the 33rd Fajr International Film Festival.
In just four years, the Luxembourg City Film Festival has become Luxembourg’s leading cinema event. With 18,000 visitors in 2014, the ten-day event has found its audience thanks to a broad palette of activities and a deep-rooted concern for quality.
