TEHRAN – The Shahr International Film Festival announced the official lineup for its eighth edition, which will take place in Tehran from July 18 to 22.

18 movies, including six films from overseas filmmakers, will be competing in the feature film category.

The lineup features Indian director Pradip Kurbah’s 2019 movie “Market”, which portrays the lives of everyday people with everyday stories, not dignified as heroes, but nevertheless people who make the lives of each other better.

Chinese director Ran Jing’s 2020 drama “Model” will also be screened.

In this film, under pressure from her estranged father, a young Chinese architect agrees to establish guardianship of the 7-year-old half-brother she has never met so that she can obtain a U.S. visa to pursue her dream job.

Cambodian director Neang Kavich’s 2021 drama “White Building” is another highlight of the lineup.

The film follows 20-year-old Samnang who faces the demolition of his lifelong home in Phnom Penh and the pressures from family, friends and neighbors which arise and intersect in this moment of sudden change.

Four films from foreign directors will be showcased in the documentary feature section.

Portuguese filmmaker Tiago Afonso’s “Dystopia” is a highlight of this category.

This film centers on the changes in the social fabric of the city of Porto from 2007 to 2020. Demolitions, evictions and resettlements that affect the Roma community of Bacelo, the inhabitants of Bairro do Aleixo and the sellers at Feira da Vandoma.

The Turkish-Japanese film “Kodokushi” has also been selected to be screened.

Directed by Ensar Altay, the film tells the story of Norihito, who works at a company that cleans up the houses of people who die alone. He begins to question his own life and past due to all the lonely deaths he sees.

Slovakian filmmaker Barbora Sliepková will also participate in the festival with her documentary “Lines”.

The almost neo-realistically stylized footage shows the everyday hustle and bustle of contemporary Bratislava whose inhabitants, in addition to their own woes, have to cope with the constant grind of urban construction, congested traffic and rising housing prices.

Filmmakers from around the world will also take part in the short fictional and documentary film sections.

A number of animated movies from Iranian and foreign directors will be competing in the festival, which is organized every year under the auspices of Tasvire Shahr Institute at the Art and Cultural Organization of the Tehran Municipality.

Photo: A scene from Cambodian director Neang Kavich’s drama “White Building”.

MMS/YAW