TEHRAN – A lineup of Iranian films will compete in various sections of the 41st edition of the Goteborg Film Festival, which will be held in the Swedish city from January 26 to February 5.

“Israfil”, director Ida Panahandeh’s elegiac tale of love, loss and loneliness will be screened in the international competition.

“The Invincible Diplomacy of Mr. Naderi”, a documentary 
co-directed by Maryam Moqaddam and Behtash Sanaeiha about a man named Naderi who wants to act as a mediator between Iran and the United States, has been selected for the Five Continents category.

Maximerat Animerat, a section dedicated to animated movies, will screen “Maned and Macho” by Shiva Sadeq-Asadi. It is about a girl’s repressed emotions and instincts, which are embodied in some animals that come out of her dreams.

The festival also plans to pay a tribute to the world-renowned Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami by two screenings for his “24 Frames”, a minimalist film triumph narrated through twenty-four hypnotizing frames, in the Masters section.

The Goteborg Film Festival, the largest film event in Scandinavia, will present 399 films from 78 different countries.

French actress Juliette Binoche is scheduled to receive an Honorary Dragon Award for her lifetime achievements. Her films “Three Colors: Blue”, “The Lovers on the Bridge”, “Let the Sunshine in”, and “Code Unknown” will be screened during a special program.

Photo: Pejman Bazeghi (L) and Hedyeh Tehrani act in a scene from “Israfil”.

MMS/YAW