Two Iranian films ‘Emigrant Is a Bird’ and ‘Campaign’ will compete at the 3rd Student Art Festival (STARTFEST) in Florida, the US.
‘Emigrant Is a Bird’ directed by Marzieh Riahi is a documentary which narrates the story of Afghan labor children who live in Iran and a benevolent Iranian lady who supports their education, MNA reported.
‘Campaign’ directed by Mohammadreza Khavari is an experimental short film which focuses on activities such as campaigns, demonstrations, and fundraising that all serve as an opportunity for a good cause.
STARTFEST is a nonprofit film festival to help educate, exhibit and recognize the achievements of aspiring high school and college students. It is where students compete against their peers and receive valuable, constructive feedback on their work from leading industry professionals.
The 3rd edition of the festival will take place on May 27-29.
‘Melbourne’ in Romania
Nima Javidi’s debut is the only Iranian film this year to compete in Romania’s Transylvania International Film Festival (TIFF).
The Iranian family drama ‘Melbourne’ opened the International Critics’ Week at the 71st Venice Film Festival in 2014. It has since participated in several other events and managed to win the Golden Pyramid for Best Film in Cairo, and the Best Script award in Stockholm.
The film, starring Payman Maadi and Negar Javaherian, recounts the story of a seemingly ordinary middle-class couple who are about to leave Tehran for Melbourne to continue their higher education. However, a few hours before the departure of their flight, they are inadvertently involved in a tragic event.
Founded in 2002, TIFF is the first international feature film festival in Romania. The 14th round of the event will kick off on May 29, and will run through June 7, featuring films from eleven countries including the US, Spain, France and Germany.
In the past 14 years, TIFF has become a well-known brand in Romania, not only due to the outstanding films screened every year, but also for “the effective organization, sparkling atmosphere and density of events like seminars, workshops and panels.”
In 2011, TIFF was accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) as a “competitive festival specialized on first and second feature films.”
