TEHRAN-Four short films by Iranian directors will be screened at the 11th Early Bird International Student Film Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria, from November 1 to 5.

“Suitcase” by Saman Hosseinpour from Sepehr Art University of Isfahan, “Pitage” by Ali Khaledi from University of Art in Tehran, “The Steak” by Kiarash Dadgar from Soore Art University of Tehran, and “Bread and Pomegranate” by Mahtab Hasani from Sapienza University in Rome, Italy, are the short flicks by Iranian filmmakers attending the Bulgarian event, ILNA reported.

A production of 2023, “Suitcase” is about a Kurdish refugee who lives in his suitcase far from his own homeland. In it he carries memories of his family. When someone steals the suitcase in the tumult of the foreign city center, he loses his home a second time.

The 15-minute flick won the best script award at the 11th Parma International Music Film Festival in Italy and the Audience Award at Kobani International Film Festival in Germany in September.

Meysam Damanzeh, Rezvan Khodami, Elena Sahami and Ava Moslemkhani are in the cast of the short work.

A director and writer, Hosseinpuor, 30, started filmmaking at 2008. He has Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in cinema. He has so far made 10 short films and received more than 70 awards from international film festivals.

The 2023 production “Pitage” tells the story of a prisoner whose final request before his execution is to have his hair cut so that he will look good when he meets his family for the last time. He comes face to face with a prison guard willing to carry out the death sentence for leave-taking.

Khaledi, 31, began his career as a director's assistant and production manager approximately five years ago. The 10-minute fiction film “Pitage” is his debut work as a director.

In the eight-minute flick “Steak,” a birthday ceremony preparation gets upside down as something horrible takes place.

Dadgar, 29, has received his M.A. in dramatic literature from the Soore Art University of Tehran and worked on several projects in short films, series and theatrical productions. He has also worked as a producer in some short films, among which “Jouissance” was premiered at BUSAN International Film Festival (2022). He directed his first short film “Steak” in 2023 and is waiting for his film's world premiere.

“Bread and Pomegranate” tells the story of Hiva, a worker who recently lost his job because of illness, as he tries to fix his economic issues.

Hassani, 42, pursued her passion for the arts with a Bachelor's degree in Theater in Iran. Following this, she embarked on a journey to Italy, where she continued her studies in cinema at Sapienza University of Rome. She successfully completed both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Cinema and Dramatic Arts. “Bread and Pomegranate” is her second short film that she made in 2022. 

The 19th edition of the Early Bird ISFF will feature live screenings at the National Academy for Theater and Film Arts and online streaming via the Neterra TV+ platform. 

Early Bird International Student Film Festival is the biggest Bulgarian forum dedicated to support the creation of student short films. For more than 19 years the festival has been fully devoted to help young filmmakers to reach their audience.

The main goal of the festival has always been to present the specific point of view of the young filmmakers and their bold opinion on the topics of the day in order to preserve a visual record of what excites them. 

In an effort to be useful to the filmmakers, the Early Bird festival has special educational modules. Every year the festival organizes Master Classes and Workshops - a place for discussions and exchange of experience between proven professionals in different spheres and the future ones.

Apart from the international competition program the festival has special programs and additional screenings of new Bulgarian films and film selection from partnering festivals and organizations.

SS/SAB