TEHRAN-The Iranian short film “21 Weeks Later” written and directed by Nasrin Mohammadpour won The Sonje Award, given to the best Korean and Asian short films, jointly with “Mydear” by Jeon Do-hee and Kim So-hee at the 28th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), which was held from October 4 to 13 in South Korea.

Having its world premiere, “21 Weeks Later” represented Iran at the Wide Angle - Asian Short Film Competition section of the BIFF.

The 14-minute film, a 2023 production, is about a young woman who has decides to have an abortion while her husband disagrees.

Banafsheh Riazi, Leila Hassanzadeh, Soudabeh Bahraminejad, and Parisa Asgari are in the cast.

The jury members for Wide Angle – Korean and Asian Short Film Competition Section included South Korean director Jang Kun-jae, Chinese director Wei Shujun, and Bianca Balbuena, managing director of Anima & Secret Menu from the Philippines.

Commenting about their selection of “21 Weeks Later” as the winner, they wrote: “Our jury deeply empathized with the film that questions what motherhood truly means and how to combat the despairing reality, making it all the more noteworthy”.

Nasrin Mohammadpour, 34, is a filmmaker and social activist. Her debut short film “Left Hand” (2020) won the BNP award at the Seoul International Women’s Film Festival. “21 Weeks Later” is her second short film.

The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), held annually in Busan, South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. The main focus of the BIFF is to introduce new films and first-time directors, especially those from Asian countries. Another notable feature is the appeal of the festival to young people, both in terms of the large youthful audience it attracts and through its efforts to develop and promote young talent.

This year’s edition of the festival drew to a close Friday, attracting more than 140,000 movie lovers to the port city of Busan for 10 days.

The 28th BIFF screened 209 films from 70 countries at four theaters, including 88 world and international premieres.

Photo: Nasrin Mohammadpour, director of “21 Weeks Later” at the closing ceremony of the 28th Busan International Film Festival in South Korea

SS/SAB