TEHRAN – The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival has chosen Iranian film editor Hayedeh Safiyari to join the official competition jury of its 26th edition opening in the Estonian city on November 11.

A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Safiyari was also a member of the jury at the 2021 Tallinn Black Nights festival.

She has worked with many renowned Iranian filmmakers, including Asghar Farhadi, who had her collaboration for his Oscar-winning films “A Separation” and “The Salesman”.

She has edited over 90 films and documentaries during her career spanning over thirty years and won awards at several Iranian and international events.

The Tallinn Black Nights festival jury also comprises director Ildikó Enyedi and her Hungarian fellow composer Ádám Balázs, German director Andreas Kleinert, and Indian actress and director Bijaya Jena.

Several Iranian films including, the acclaimed black-comedy “World War III” which is Iran’s submission to the international competition of the 2023 Oscars, will be screened in different sections of the festival.

Directed by Hooman Seyyedi, the film will be showcased in the Best of Fest category. It premiered at the 79th Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Orizzonti Award for Best Film and the best actor award for Mohsen Tanabandeh.

It also won the special jury prize at the 35th Tokyo International Film Festival last week.

This film follows Shakib, a homeless day laborer who never got over the loss of his wife and son in an earthquake years ago. Over the last couple of years, he has developed a relationship with a deaf and mute woman, Ladan. The construction site on which he works today turns out to be the set of a film about the atrocities committed by Hitler during WWII. Against all odds, he is given a movie role, a house and a chance at being somebody. When Ladan learns about this, she comes to his workplace begging for help. Shakib’s scheme to hide her goes tragically wrong and threatens to ruin his newfound status and what seemed to be the opportunity of a lifetime.

“The Wastetown” by writer and director Ahmad Bahrami will be shown in the official competition.

“A Childless Village”, Reza Jamali’s funny film-in-film comedy will be screened in the Critics’ Picks Competition of the festival.

In the Shorts Live-Action Competition, the Iranian-French production “Aban” by Abbas Taheri and Mahdieh Tusi will be screened.

Photo: Film editor Hayedeh Safiyari in an undated photo.

MMS/YAW