TEHRAN – Three Iranian movies will be competing in the various categories of the Slamdance Film Festival.

The 28th edition will be organized in a hybrid format in Park City, Utah for physical screenings from January 20 to 23, 2022 alongside an accessible program of virtual screenings running from January 20 to 30, 2022.

“Killing the Eunuch Khan”, written and directed by Abed Abest, will compete with five other movies in the Breakouts section.

It is about a serial killer that uses his victims to kill more victims.

In this film, set during the war between Iran and Iraq, a father lives with his two daughters in a big, strangely haunted house in an almost deserted city near the border. 

One day, he leaves the girls at home alone in order to participate in a funeral ceremony. That same day, the city is struck by a bombing raid, and a bomb falls in his garden. From that point on, some sort of ghostly vibration unhinges his own reality, and the world of the dead seems to mingle with the world of living.

“Doggy Love” directed by Mahmud Ghaffari will be screened in the Documentary Features competition.

The film follows Aslan, who is in love with Yassi. Together, they run an underground dog shelter in Iran.

“Gladiolus” directed by Azadeh Navai has been selected to be screened in the Documentary Shorts competition.

An ode to a flower that once enjoyed prominence in Iranian culture, “Gladiolus” tells the story of its ubiquitous role in life’s important ceremonies and how it became a victim of its own popularity by the same nation.

Movies from all corners of the globe, including Germany, Australia, Iran, Canada, China, Italy, Poland and the UK, are in this year’s competition lineup.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, both masks and proof of COVID-19 vaccination will be required at all in-person screenings and events.

Photo: “Killing the Eunuch Khan” by Abed Abest will be screened in the official competition of the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

MMS/YAW