Iranian Independents’ Cannes 2015 Lineup
1) Avalanche (Bahman)
Director: Morteza Farshbaf
Scriptwriters: Morteza Farshbaf & Nasim Maraashi
Director of Photography: Hooman Behmanesh
Editor: Pouya Parsamagham
Music: Hamed Sabet
Sound: Alireza Alavian & Vahid Moghadassi
Production Designer: Behzad Kazzazi
Make-Up: Mehrdad Mirkiani
Special Effects: Arash Aghabeik
Visual Effects: Javad Matouri
Still Photographer: Habib Majidi
Executive Producer: Fereshteh Mehdizadeh
Producer: Javad Norouzbeigi
Production Company: Qabe Aseman Film Production
Cast: Fatemeh Motamed Aria, Ahmad Hamed, Farideh Esmaili, Maryam Shirazi
IRAN, 2015, 90 Minutes
Color, Dolby 5.1, Frame Ratio: 1.2:39
Synopsis: Homa, a highly appreciated and respected senior nurse working in a private hospital is offered a 10-day nightshift for a single patient, an old lady.
From the first night on and throughout her 10-day nightshift it snows constantly and heavily. The immediate consequence of this sudden and complete change in her everyday life is insomnia and all which it does to an insomniac.
Director’s Bio-filmography: Born in 1986, Morteza Farshbaf holds an BA in Cinema from Tehran’s University of Art. He’s been involved in filmmaking since he was 18 and he made his first short film, “Halloween” in 2004. His next short films are: “The Carpet” (2005), “Taxi” (2006), “Flakey” (2007) and “The Wind Blows Where It Wants” (2008). Mr. Farshbaf attended Abbas Kiarostami’s workshops and collaborated with him in several film projects. He made his debut feature film, “The Mourning” in 2011 which was premiered at Busan Film Festival and received the Best Film Award and FIPRESCI Prize and then was shown in more than 20 film festivals around the globe. “Avalanche” (2015) is his second feature film.
Festivals: Tehran’s Fajr Film Festival (2015),
2) I Am Diego Maradona (Man Diego Maradona Hastam)
Director & Scriptwriter: Bahram Tavakoli
Director of Photography: Hooman Behmanesh
Editor: Bahram Dehghani
Music: Hamed Sabet
Art Director: Keivan Moghadam
Sound: Mahmoud Samakbashi & Alireza Alavian
Make-Up: Mohsen Darsanj
Visual Effects: Javad Matouri
Still Photographer: Ali Bagheri
Producer: Javad Norouzbeigi
Production Company: Qabe Aseman Film Company
Cast: Golab Adineh, Saied Aghakhani, Hooman Seyedi, Vishka Asayesh, Mahsa Alafar, Sara Bahrami, Pantea Panahi Ha
IRAN, 2015, 85 Minutes
Color, Dolby 5.1, Frame Ratio: 1.2:39
Synopsis: Two families become afflicted with a problem because of an unsuccessful marriage and while, the story goes on, we get to know when a mistake occurs, all are the family members, directly or indirectly, involved in. And everyone is able to compensate such mistake and makes the gaps closer. Such knowledge makes all closer to each other and reminds everyone’s share in family management.
Director’s Bio-filmography: Born in 1976 in Tehran, Bahram Tavakoli is a graduate of Theater (BA) and Scriptwriting (MA). An award-winning short film director in national and international film festivals, he won best first feature film for “Barefoot in Heaven” (2007) and best second feature film for “A Walk in the Fog” (2010) at Fajr Film Festival. He made third feature film, “Here without Me” in 2011, his fourth feature, “The Shallow Yellow Sky” in 2013 and his fourth film, “The Stranger” in 2014 which were all shown and awarded at many international film events throughout the world.
Festivals: Tehran’s Fajr Film Festival (2015, Special Mention of Best Director, Best Supporting Actor for Hooman Seyedi, Best Sound Recording for Mahmoud Samakbashi),
3) Risk of Acid Rain (Ehtemal-s Baran-e Asidi)
Director: Behtash Sanaeeha
Scriptwriters: Behtash Sanaeeha & Maryam Moghadam
Director of Photography: Mohammad-Reza Jahanpanah
Art Director: Iraj Raminfar
Editor: Behtash Sanai Ha
Music: Henric Negi
Sound: Abdolreza Heidari & Hossein Ghoorchian
Make-Up: Kamran Khalaj
Special Effects: Arash Aghabeig
Visual effects: Behrouz Bagheri, Nima Eshghipour & Hamid-Reza Fatoorechian
Still Photographers: Somayeh Jafari & Kasra Partovi
Producers: Rouhollah Baradari & Samira Baradari
Cast: Shams Langeroudi, Maryam Moghadam, Pouria Rahimi Sam, Arsalan Abdollahi, Issa Hosseini,
IRAN, 2015, 105 Minutes
Color, Dolby 5.1,
Synopsis: Manouchehr, a 60-old retired man from Iranian Tobacco Company, still insisting to go back to his office. He lives with his mother and still un-married and alone. When his mother passes away, he tries to find his old friend, Khosrow in Tehran.
Director’s Bio-filmography: Born in 1978 in Shiraz, Behtash Sanaeeha is a graduate of Civil Engineering. He started his career as a stage director, writer and actor since 1995 and then made his made his first short films, documentaries and animations from 2003. He’s also made to animation TV series as well as a tele-drama. “Risk of Acid Rain” is his debut feature film.
Festivals: Tehran’s Fajr Film Festival (2015- Best Script Award of First Films Section)
4) Death of the Fish (Marg-e Mahi)
Director & Scriptwriter: Rouhollah Hejazi
Director of Photography: Mahmoud Kalari
Editors: Haydeh Safi Yari & Sepideh Abdolvahab
Music: Hamed Sabet
Sound: Vahid Moghadassi & Amir-Hossein Ghassemi
Make-Up: Mehrdad Mirkiani
Costume Designer: Golnaz Golshan
Set Designer: Kamyab Amin Ashayeri
Special Effects: Javad Matoori
Executive Producer: Hadi Alimohammadi
Producer: Rouhollah Hejazi
Cast: Niki Karimi, Ali Mosaffa, Babak Karimi, Tanaz Tabatabai, Rima Raminfar, Pantea Bahram, Babak Hamidian, Sahar Dolatshahi, Behrang Alavi, Hesam Mahmoudi, Morvarid Kashian
IRAN, 2015, 100 Minutes
Color, Dolby 5.1,
Synopsis: A mother dies. Her children gather after a while for her funeral but they find out that their mother has a strange will.
Mother has asked them to keep her body in house for 3 days and not to inform anybody from the relatives.
Director’s Bio-filmography: Born in Abadan in 1979, Rouhollah Hejazi directed his first short film, “Start”, in 1995, then followed up with ten more, shown at domestic and international festivals. He directed television dramas before making his debut feature film “Among the Clouds” in 2008, which garnered several awards at festivals around the world. His second feature film, "The Private Life of Mr. & Mrs. M” (2012) and third film, "The Wedlock” (2013) were shown at numerous international film festivals too.
Festivals: Tehran’s Fajr Film Festival (2015),
5) The Man who Became a Horse (Mardi ke Asb Shod)
Director & Scriptwriter: Amir-Hossein Saghafi
Director of Photography: Amin Jafari
Art Director: Sharareh Soroush
Sound: Mohammad Habibi
Editor: Mastaneh Mohajer
Music: Karen Homayounfar
Make-Up: Mohammad Ghomi
Producer: Ali-Akbar Saghafi
Cast: Mahmoud Nazar-Alian, Levon Haftvan, Melissa Zakeri, Mazdak Mirabedini
IRAN, 2015, 110 Minutes
Color,
Synopsis: A father and his daughter live together and the mother has passed away and there is just one white horse left for their daughter. The father prevents his daughter to leave him, though she’s married. The father’s even planning to kill his son-in-law but the girl leaves him and he goes crazy.
Director’s Bio-filmography: Born in 1986, Amir-Hossein Saghafi who was a professional boxer, turned to filmmaking with a short film, "Winston" in 1987. He made his first debut feature film, "Death is my Profession" in 2011 and then "Everything for Sale" in 2013. "A Man who Became a Horse" is his third feature film.
Festivals: Tehran’s Fajr Film Festival (2015, Art & Experimental Jury Special Mention),
7)The Sale (Haraj)
Director & Scriptwriter: Hossein Shahabi
Director of Photography: Hooman Salmasi
Editor: Hossein Eivazi
Sound Recorder: Mohammad Salehi
Make Up: Shahram Khalaj
Costume Designer: Bahareh Amini
Production Manager: Mohammad Reza Najafi
Music: Hossein Shahabi & Babak Parsian
Producer: Hossein Shahabi
Production Company: Baran Film House
Iran, 2015, DCP, Color.
86 Minutes, Frame Ratio:1:85, Sound: SR.
In Persian with English subtitles
Cast: Fariba Khademi, Nasim Adabi, Mahsa Abiz, Maryam Sarmadi, Giti Ghasemi, Esmat Rezapour, Mohammad Kart, Parya Ebrahimi, Mohammad Karhemmat, Sonia Shirazi, Ahmad Shahabi, Mohammad Akbari .
Synopsis: Forough is a middle aged woman whose husband has temporarily married with another woman. Even though that was kept secret from her, but his action is considered legal in Iran. Now the husband is in prison, due to not being able to pay second wife’s “Mehrieh” (the bride’s marriage portion).The second wife intends to receive her Mehrieh by asking the court’s permission to sell his house. Forough, the first wife, in order to not lose her home, intends to sell all she has to pay for her husband’s debt and release him from the jail.
Director’s Bio-filmography: Born in 1967 in Tabriz- Iran, Hossein Shahabi studied classical music and graduated from Tehran University. He has made seven short films, ten Tele-movies and two feature films. ‘The Bright Day’ has been his debut, which was nominated in four categories in Fajr International Film Festival Tehran- (Feb. 2013) and won two Honorary Diplomas. ‘The Bright Day’ has screened in numerous film festivals around the world and received Astor Prize at the 28th Mar del Plata Film Festival and the Audience Prize at 24th Iranian Film Festival in Chicago’s Gene Siskel Film Center. ‘The Sale’ is Hossein Shahabi’s second feature film.
Festivals: Vesoul (2015)
World Sales & Festivals:
Iranian Independents
PO Box 15875-4769
Tehran, Iran
