TEHRAN – Iran’s submission to the 2020 Oscars “Finding Farideh” was named best film at the 1st edition of the Nostalgia Film Festival (NFF), an independent Iranian film event established by Iranian director Mohammad Qanefard in Milan, Italy, the Persian service of ISNA reported on Saturday. 

Co-directed by Azadeh Musavi and Kurosh Atai, the film is about a Netherland-based Iranian woman who was adopted by a Dutch couple forty years ago, and returns to Iran to search for her family.

“Finding Farideh” was selected as Iran’s submission to the 92nd Academy Awards in the best foreign-language film category.

It is also on the list of 159 documentary features submitted for the Academy Awards.

“Are You Volleyball?!” by Mohammad Bakhshi won the best short film award and “Time to Change” by Maryam Rahimi received an honorable mention in this section. 

“Are You Volleyball?!” is about a group of Arab asylum seekers, who arrive at an English speaking country border and can’t keep going. They have arguments with border guards every day until a deaf-mute boy becomes the catalyst for better communication between the two groups.

“Time to Change” is about some women who need to change their lives under the societal pressures and the difficulties of their lives. 

Animated films “Parivash” by Ameneh Monshizadeh and “The Spinning Top” by Shiva Momtahan shared the festival’s director special award. 

Over 30 Iranian feature and short films, including “Orange Days” by Arash Lahuti, “Reza” by Alireza Motamedi, “Kingslayer” by Vahid Amirkhani and “Birthday Night” by Omid Shams, were also screened at the festival. 

The festival mostly focuses on films that are overlooked in Iran or international festivals.

Photo: A scene from the Iranian documentary “Finding Farideh” co-directed by Azadeh Musavi and Kurosh Atai.

ABU/MMS/YAW