The 2018 Fajr International Film Festival has announced the names of short films playing in its Cinema Salvation (International Competition) section.
According to the Secretariat of the annual event, 15 movies from France, Canada, Estonia, Poland, Germany, Slovenia, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine, Egypt, Greece, Czech and Iran are competing. Two Iranian directors living abroad are also competing with two joint productions from Estonia, Portugal, Scotland and Mexico. The names of Three Iranian short films competing in the Cinema Salvation category will be announced later.
The lineup:
Les Miserables
Writer & Director: Ladj Ly
DOP: Julien Verron
Editor: Flora Voltepeliere
Sound: Robin Bouet
Cast: Damien Bonnard, Djibril Zonga, Alexis Manenti, Amara Ly, Boris Gamthety, Nizar Ben Fatma
Producer: Christophe Barral
Language: French
Country, Year, Runtime: France | 2017 | 16 min
Synopsis:
In modern-day Parisian neighborhood of Victor Hugo’s novel, a new transfer cop learns abusive policing practices of two veterans. When a young boy records them going too far, the community threatens to explode.
Festivals / Awards:
2017: Almería International Short Film Festival, Best Art Direction, Brooklyn Film Festival, Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, Cortogenia Award
2018: Palm Springs International Film Festival
About Director:
Ladj Ly is a director and actor, known for Les Misérables (2017), Sheitan (2006), and Our Day Will Come (2010).
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Deyzangeroo
Writer & Director: Ehsan Gharib
Music: Habib Meftah Boushehri
Sound: Olivier Calvert
Producer: Maral Mohammadian
Production Co: National Film Board of Canada
Language: No Dialogue
Country, Year, Runtime: Canada | 2017 | 5 min
Synopsis:
Deyzangeroo is a ritual performed in the Iranian port city of Bushehr. Influenced by the city’s colonial rule by the British and Portuguese, and the African slaves that followed, it is imbued with the terror and magic of the lunar eclipse. The ritual is believed to ward off evil spirits and take back the moon. It works every time.
Festivals / Awards:
2017: DOK Leipzig – International Festival for Documentary and Animated Film, Golden Dove (International Competition Short Animation Film) , Germany
About Director:
Born in Arak, Iran, in 1983, Ehsan Gharib is a designer and photographer who studied at the Soroush Film School in Tehran and Concordia University in Montreal. He describes himself as a cineaste because his work combines photography, animation and filmmaking. Gharib has worked as 3D artist, character animator, compositor and motion graphics artist on several award-winning animated shorts, including Oscar, directed by Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre. Deyzangeroo is his first film produced by the National Film Board of Canada.
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Roof Knocking
Director: Sina Salimi
Writer: Lucas Abrahão
DOP: Francesco Crivaro
Editor: Ahmed Abdelrazek
Music: Indrek Soe
Sound: Indrek Soe
Cast: Sameera Asir, Ahmed Abdelrazek, Alaa Zubaydi, Leila Ziyad
Producer: Sergio Salazar
Language: Arabic
Country, Year, Runtime: Estonia, Portugal, Scotland, Mexico | 2017 | 12 min
Synopsis:
In Gaza, mid-Ramadan, a mother has to abandon her home after she receives a phone threat, giving her 10 minutes to leave.
Festivals / Awards:
2017: International Short Film, Youssef Chahine, Best Short Film, Egypt
About Director:
Sina Salimi was born in Iran. He worked on several short films and commercial projects before moving to Europe to continue his studies in film directing. He currently resides in Lisbon, where he works on his first feature film project.
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Bogdan and Rose
Writer & Director: Milena Dutkowska
DOP: Igor Potaniewicz
Editor: Patrik Eriksson
Music: Adam Sypka
Cast: Maria Ciunelis, Jerzy Rogalski
Producer: Milena Dutkowska
Language: Polish
Country, Year, Runtime: Poland | 2017 | 15 min
Synopsis:
Bogdan and Rose have been living together and working at the same schools canteen for years, but they don’t speak to each other.
Festivals / Awards:
2017: Krakow Film Festival, Poland
2018: 10th Go Short – International Short Film Festival Nijmegen, The Netherlands, Trieste FF, Italy
About Director:
Milena Dutkowska graduated from the Department of Stage Design at the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow (Faculty of Painting). She has directed three short films and is currently in her third year of directing at the Katowice Film School.
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Circular Madness (Original Title: Folie Circulaire)
Writer & Director: Charlotte McGowan-Griffin
DOP: Leah Striker
Editor: Carolina Hellsgard
Music: Cecile Schott
Sound: Christoph Stahlhauer
Cast: Anne Tismer, Alexandra Stewart
Producer: Charlotte McGowan-Griffin
Language: English, German
Country, Year, Runtime: Germany | 2017 | 15 min
Synopsis:
Heidelberg 1894. Using bed sheets, Marie Lieb makes enigmatic figures and patterns on the floor of her psychiatric cell – and the result is mesmerizing. Over a century later, an artist stumbles across photographs of these floor drawings. She wants to know more about Marie Lieb, but her medical records are missing.
About Director:
Charlotte McGowan-Griffin studied fine art in Goldsmiths College & 16mm filmmaking at AFECT (founding patron Mike Leigh). She participated in international fellowships and exhibitions with sculpture and installation works.
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The Domestic Fly
Director: Áron Horváth
Writers: Áron Horváth, Darko Sintic
DOP: Darko Sintic
Editor: Andrej Avanzo
Music: Tibor Szloboda
Sound: Martin Rajster, Miha Rudolf
Cast: Sandi Lopatec, Mara Vilar
Producers: Jure Kreft, Darko Sintic
Language: Slovenian
Country, Year, Runtime: Slovenia | 2017 | 11 min
Synopsis:
An everyday routine of a lonely old lady is interrupted by an irritating fly. An initial conflict between the two is soon replaced by a newly found friendship and grandma’s days become filled with life and joy.
About Director:
Aron Horvath was born in 1991 in Slovenia. He studied fine arts in Ljubljana. He has also studied film directing.
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Faith (Original Title: Vera)
Writer & Director: Tatiana Fedorovskaya
DOP: Vladimir Egorov
Editor: Leonid Davydov
Music: Second Waltz by D Shostakovich N.F.O.R., Conductor Vladimir Spivakov
Sound: Rustam Medov
Cast: Viktor Kruglyak
Producer: Andrey Konchalovsky
Production Co: Andrey Konchalovsky Production Center
Language: Russian
Country, Year, Runtime: Russia | 2017 | 15 min
Synopsis:
An old man, a former radio operator, sees a flashing bulb as his late wife’s messages. The love of his life never dies, even when the light goes off.
Festivals / Awards:
2017: Wildrose Festival, De Moines, Best Screenplay, Best Student Screenplay, US, FLICKERS’ Rhode Island IFF, Providence, Best Short, Best DOP Work, US, Golden Eagle Cinema Award, Best Short, Nomination, Russia
About Director
Tatiana Fedorovskaya was born in 1979 in Magnitogorsk, Russia. After graduating from university in 2004, she moved to Moscow to start her acting career. She played in films and TV series. In 2017, she finished her studies in screenplay writing and film directing.
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A Handful of Stones (Original Title: Kamen U Ruci)
Director: Stefan Ivancic
Writers: Stefan Djordjevic, Andrijana Stojkovic
DOP: Stefan Djordjevic
Editors: Dragan Von Petrovic, Milena Z. Petrovic
Music: Nikola Jovanovic, Boris Mladenovic
Sound: Jakov Munizaba
Cast: Ognjen Zlatic, Igor Bencina, Nikola Stanulovic, Dubravka Kovjanic
Producer: Mina Djukic
Language: Serbian
Country, Year, Runtime: Serbia | 2017 | 14 min
Synopsis:
Ivica is an 11-year-old kid who spends his time with friends, roaming around unexplored grounds of an industrial Serbian town. Bitter and disquieted, he is about to find out his parents are divorcing.
Festivals / Awards:
2017: Belgrade Documentary and Short FF, Best Director, Serbia, Fekk Ljubljana, Grand Prix, Slovenia, Film Front Novi Sad, Special Mention, Serbia, Basta Fest, Best Cinematography, Serbia
About Director:
Stefan Ivancic (Yugoslavia, 1985) studied film directing at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts, Belgrade. His short film Soles de Primavera (2013) had its international premiere at FID Marseille and was selected in Rotterdam, Torino, San Sebastian and Sevill. His film 1973 (2014) had its premiere at Visions du Réel and Moonless Summer (2014). It was selected for the Festival de Cannes, Cinéfondation. His films have received national and international awards.
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Annihilation (2017)
Director: Denys Kushnarov
Writers: Denys Kushnarov, Roman Orlov, Denys Kushnarov
DOP: Dmitriy Belyi, Volodymyr Bozhynskyi
Editor: Volodymyr Bozhynskyi
Music: Glen Gabriel Jansson
Sound: Arthur Bondarchuk
Cast: Denys Kushnarov
Producer: Roman Orlov
Production Co: Para Dogs Production
Language: No Dialogue
Country, Year, Runtime: Ukraine | 2017 | 5 min
Synopsis:
Annihilation is a movie about the last refugee on earth.
About Director:
Denys Kushnarov is a Ukrainian filmmaker and journalist, born in Donetsk region. He graduated in arts from the Donetsk National University. He studied film and worked for TV channels and magazines. His documentary Rocket Man won the best Ukrainian short film award in 2015 from the National Filmmakers Union of Ukraine.
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Red Velvet
Writer & Director: Mahmoud Essa, Youssef Hanafy
DOP: Marco Michel
Editor: Youssef Hanafy, Mahmoud Samir
Music: Exist Strategy
Sound: Abdel Rahman Mahmoud
Cast: Asser Hany, Rana Haridy, Nancy Attallah
Producers: Mahmoud Essa, Youssef Hanafy, Omar El Halawany
Production Co: Haifong Collective
Language: Arabic
Country, Year, Runtime: Egypt | 2017 | 15 min
Synopsis:
Nancy suffers from cardiac arrest and her only chance to survive is her five-year-old son Asser.
Festivals / Awards:
2017: 39th Cairo International Film Festival, International Short Film Competition, Egypt / 15th International Festival-Workshop of Film Schools Kinoproba, Official Competition, Russia / 11th International Children’s Film Festival Bangladesh, Official Competition, Bangladesh
About Directors:
Mahmoud Samir is a filmmaker and critic from Cairo. He is a student at the High Cinema Institute in Cairo. His first documentary short Emmanuel was selected in the 34th BUFF International Film Festival in Malmo, Sweden, and won the Special Prix at the 3rd Des Arts / Des Cinés Danse Et Cinema Festival, Saint Etienne, France.
Youssef Hanafy works as visual effects supervisor and is co-founder of the Squids Visual Arts, a post-production company in Cairo. He has worked on numerous projects including features and TV series.
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Hiwa
Writer & Director: Jacqueline Lentzou
DOP: Konstantinos Koukoulios
Editor: Smart Papaevangelou
Sound: Leandros Ntounis
Cast: Melchor Lopez
Producers: Vicky Miha, Jacqueline Lentzou
Language: Tagalog
Country, Year, Runtime: Greece | 2017 | 11 min
Synopsis:
In Jay’s dreams, the sun in Athens is so weak you can look at it, without getting blind.
About Director:
Jacqueline Lentzou, born in Athens in 1989, grew up in Thessaloniki. She graduated from London Film School in 2013. She has directed short films and a music video, and is currently working on her debut picture.
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The Truck
Writer & Director: Michal Balsko, Adam Mach
DOP: Adam Mach
Editor: Filip de Pina
Sound: Ivan Durkech
Cast: Peter Havasi
Producer: Ondrej Sejnoha
Production Co: FAMU
Language: Hungarian
Country, Year, Runtime: Czech Republic | 2017 | 9 min
Synopsis:
A truck has been abandoned in the forest, outside a parking lot. The license plate is foreign. The driver did all he could to start his road trip, but to no avail.
Festivals / Awards:
2017: Warsaw International Film Festival
About Directors:
Michal Balško (born 1989, Bratislava) studied film and television at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava. His second year film at VSMU, Strach (Fear, 2015), premiered in the 63rd San Sebastian International Film Festival and won prizes including Best Short Film Award at the 21st International Film Festival in Vilnius. He is a writer and co-director (with Marta Prokopová) of a short animated film Wild Beasts, which was presented at the Short Film Project Lab during the 67th Berlin International Film Festival. His project Atlantis premiered at the Cinéfondation Competition of the 70th Cannes Film Festival and was also selected for the Future Frames at the 52nd Karlovy Vary IFF.
Adam Mach was born in 1999 in Prague, Czech Republic. He works as director, writer and director of photography.
For all Festival goers who are already planning their visit, check screening time and other information at www.fajriff.com, or email us at infor@fajriff.com. Presided over by Iranian film writer and director Reza Mirkarimi, the 36th edition of Fajr International Film Festival will be held in Tehran on April 19-27.
