TEHRAN – Narges Abyar, director of the acclaimed drama “When the Moon Was Full”, has been selected for the international jury of the Mercy to the Universe International Short Film Festival, which opened on Thursday in Istanbul, Turkey.

The jury also comprises Serbian filmmaker Igor M. Toholj, Tunisian director Nacer Khemir, Egyptian filmmaker Assaad Taha and Azerbaijani filmmaker Rufat Hasanov.

“Graveyard” by Iranian director Ali Darai is among the five films shortlisted for the international fiction category.

The film tells the story of a young mother who has lost her baby due to negligence. Furthermore, since the presence of the father is required to obtain burial permission in Iran, the young mother is striving to find her missing husband and, with the passage of time, she becomes more involved in a plethora of serious issues.

The drama won the best short award at the 2022 Religion Today Film Festival in Italy, where Abyar was a jury member.

“The Sprayer”, an acclaimed animated movie by Iranian director Farnush Abedi, is among the finalists in the international animation competition.

It is about an area occupied by the sprayer’s army. No one has the right to grow any kind of plant either in public or private. So many of the people and soldiers do not even know how a plant grows or what one looks like, until one day one of the soldiers finds a seed buried deep down in the dust, and his curiosity is just the beginning of something extraordinary, something big, something revolutionary.

The eighth edition of the Mercy to the Universe International Short Film Festival will end on November 30 with the announcement of the winners in different categories.

The festival establishes a link between the Prophet Muhammad’s exemplary life for humanity and the filmmaker’s goals, the organizers have said. 

“The Prophet’s way of life is an excellent model for all human beings. He indicates and teaches people gratitude, humility, mercy, patience and submission, compassion towards the family, pardoning the guilty, and generosity.

“In addition, he teaches us to show all these values towards nature and animals as well as human beings.”

Photo: Iranian director Narges Abyar in an undated photo.

MMS/YAW