Iran to review 12 films for Oscar submission

 

World-renowned Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi’s “The Past”, which is his first movie that was shot outside of his homeland, is on the shortlist. 

 

“Snow on the Pines”, Peyman Moadi’s directorial debut on infidelity film, and “Needlessly and Causelessly”, Abdorreza Kahani’s drama about the confusion of an Iranian family after relocation, are also among the films.

 

The shortlist also includes Mani Haqiqi’s “Modest Reception” and Ali Mosaffa’s “The Last Step”, which have been acclaimed in several international events.

 

Also among the films are director Alireza Davudnejad’s “The Acting Class”, on his family members’ talent in acting, Behnam Behzadi’s “Bending the Rules”, on the conflicts between generations, Maziar Miri’s “Painting Pool”, about physically challenged parents who face a problem with their only son, and Parviz Shahbazi’s “Trapped”, on the subtleties of interpersonal power dynamics.

 

Puran Derakhshandeh’s “Hush… Girls Don’t Scream”, about Iranian girls’ social problems, Behruz Shoeibi’s “The Vestibule”, about a woman trying to save her husband from qisas, the Islamic law of equal retaliation in punishment, Faramarz Qaribian’s film noir “The Sinners” are other films of the lineup.  

 

The committee, which has been assigned by the Farabi Cinema Foundation (FCF), must select Iran’s submission for the 84th Academy Awards until October 1, which is the deadline to submit entries in the Foreign Language Film category.

 

Iran selected “A Cube of Sugar” to represent the country at the 2013 Academy Awards.

 

However, the film missed the event since the then culture minister, Mohammad Hosseini, boycotted the Oscars over the production of an anti-Islam video in the United States.

 

In 2012, Farhadi’s “A Separation” won the Oscar for the Foreign Language Film. 

 

MMS/YAW

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