TEHRAN-An Iranian filmmaker will serve as a juror in the upcoming edition of the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival (SDFF), set to be held in California, the U.S., from March 27 to 30.

The documentary filmmaker Mostafa Salehi Nezhad will be on the jury of the Short Film section, judging films that are from 10 to 39 minutes in length. The winner in this section will qualify for the Academy Award, IRNA reported.

Mostafa Salehi Nezhad, 37, is a documentary filmmaker, journalist, and university professor with over 13 years of experience in cinema and media based in Iran. 

His works have been screened at numerous festivals, including Oscar and Canadian Screen Awards-qualifying festivals. Collaboration with organizations such as UNICEF and the World Food Program (WFP) has allowed delving into critical human and social issues on an international scale. 

Founded in 2007, the first ever Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival boldly curated 44 films that brought into focus a wealth of talented filmmakers from Sonoma County and the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

Sixteen years later, nearly 700 titles from 62 countries were openly submitted for SDFF 2023. Sixty-three films were programmed, attended by 93 filmmakers and an impressive audience.

SDFF honors diversity in all forms. It continues to provide equal opportunity for filmmakers through open calls for entry and explore what it’s like for anyone to wake to its existence.

It is an Oscar qualifying Film Festival for documentaries in the short form. It is proudly progressive, often featuring spotlights on social justice, journalism, and current issues. Films are chosen for excellence in craft, character, storytelling, and authenticity. 

The festival relishes diversity in all its forms, colors, and capacities. Attending filmmakers often comment they come to see films here that they can’t find anywhere else.

SS/SAB