TEHRAN-Eight films from Iran will participate in the 23rd Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) in India from February 13 to 20.

The Iranian participants in the Global Cinema section include “At the End of the Day” directed by Babak Bahram-Beygi, “Captain” by Mohammad Hamzei, “In the Land of Brothers” by Alireza Ghasemi and Raha Amirfazli, “Roxana” by Parviz Shahbazi, “Shoomah” by Mojgan Bayat, “Summertime” by Mahmoud Kalari, “The Old Bachelor” by Oktay Baraheni, and “The Wasteman” by Ahmad Bahrami.

“At the End of the Day” is a 99-minute film made in 2024. It shows one day in the life of three young women in different generations, who are dealing with an emotional crisis each.

The cast includes Hanieh Tavasoli, Mahtab Servati, Shayesteh Sajadi, Shabnam Moghadami, and Reza Behbodi among others.

Running for 90 minutes, “Captain” was produced in 2023. It shows two boys named Isa and Ali, who dream of becoming football players while being in the cancer department of the children’s hospital.

Pantea Panahiha, Pejman Bazeghi, Sepideh Eydi, Amir Hossein Bayat, and Parham Gholamlou are in the cast.

In “In the Land of Brothers,” under the shadow of the U.S. invasion, an extended Afghan refugee family begins their new lives in Iran unaware of the ultimate price expected of them as outliers in this environment.

The cast of the 2024 joint production of Iran, France, and the Netherlands includes Hamideh Jafari, Bashir Nikzad, and Mohammad Hosseini.

“Roxana” was made in 2023. The two-hour movie is about Fred, an unemployed young man who lives with his sick mother. He meets Roxana who films the wedding ceremonies and becomes her assistant. When they face some problems, they have to find a way to deal with them.

Yasna Pourtahmasb, Mahsa Akbarabadi, Maedeh Tahmasbi, Behrang Alavi, and Rambod Motalebi perform in the film.

In “Shoomah,” Mitra is a single mother who runs an ecotourism complex with her son Arvand. When the bodies of divers killed in the war are found, there is no clue of Mitra’s husband so she decides to find him.

Fatemeh Motamed-Arya, Pejman Bazeghi, and Rouzbeh Hesari are in the cast of the 94-minute movie produced in 2024.

“Summertime” was produced in 2024. The story follows two young cousins, Atta and Masi, as they navigate the innocence of childhood in 1953 in Tehran. Decades later, 77-year-old Atta, who had gone abroad, returns to Iran to visit the old house, where memories of childhood bonds, betrayal, and enduring emotions come flooding back.

The cast of the 108-minute film includes Ali Shadman, Fariba Naderi, Ryan Sarlak, Ronika Bahramzadeh, and Samira Hassanpour.

“The Old Bachelor” is a production of 2024. It is about two middle-aged brothers who live with their bullying father. When the man rents out the flat above to a young woman, the family conditions get worse and reach a breaking point.

Leila Hatami, Hamed Behdad, Hassan Pourshirazi, and Mohammad Valizadegan perform in the globally acclaimed movie.

“The Wasteman” depicts a strange, silent village bereft of all apparent life, where a middle-aged wagon driver trundles a lifeless corpse towards the cemetery.

Ali Bagheri is the only actor performing in the 89-minute film that was produced in 2024 and has so far appeared in several international festivals.

Pune International Film Festival started in 2002 with the idea of building and promoting a healthy film culture in Pune. The objective is to give film lovers in the city access to global cinema and spark a cultural exchange. With discussions, lectures, and master classes on varied topics related to the craft, it tries to instill an academic flavor in the festival.

Every edition of PIFF has a unique contemporary theme. Through categories like World Competition, Marathi Competition, Global Cinema, Country Focus, and Retrospective, it brings forth quality films from various countries and cultures. An acclaimed international jury decides awards for films in the competitive sections.

The Government of Maharashtra recognized PIFF as its official festival in 2010. PIFF is the only festival that gives international recognition to Marathi cinema. Every year, PIFF continues to grow with the participation of more and more accomplished film personalities, emerging filmmakers, and film enthusiasts.

SS/