TEHRAN-The Iranian series “Actor” written and directed by Nima Javidi is competing in the 29th Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF), which is underway in Geneva, Switzerland, from November 3 to 12.

Blending drama, mystery and black comedy, the series is a dazzling story about two impecunious actors Ali and Morteza (played by Navid Mohammadzadeh and Ahmad Mehranfar respectively) who turn the world into their scene. The duo put their acting talents to original use, hopping from a staged marriage proposal to a graduation ceremony, via an array of receptions and functions. But things don’t always go as planned as they find themselves in increasingly daring and dangerous situations, while simultaneously trying to deal with the problems in their own lives.

The cast also includes Hasti Mahdavifar, Hanieh Tavassoli, Hooman Barghnavard, Gelareh Abbasi, Arash Falahatpisheh, Roya Javidnia, Mehraveh Sharifinia, and Farideh Sepahmansour among others, ISNA reported.

“All the world is a stage”. Taken from the central monologue of his comedy “As You Like It,” this quote from Shakespeare forms the starting point for this extraordinary series. Armed with boundless creativity and unlimited costumes, Ali and Morteza have only reality with which to express their art, along with money from the richest of Tehran society to help them realize their hopes of one day treading the boards again.

“Actor” features an extraordinary performance from Mohammadzadeh, who pulls off a tragicomic tour de force that impresses with its scope. Each episode is characterized by its own breathtaking performance, and each performance has its own share of misadventures based on a fabulous unpredictability. Gripping from the very opening scene, the series will serve as a wake-up call for Iranian cinema.

The series has so far received an honorable mention from Seriencamp Festival in Germany earlier this year in June and the grand prize of Series Mania Festival in France in March. It also won the best screenwriter award at the 18th Seoul International Drama Awards in South Korea in September.

Nima Javidi, 43, is best known for his films “Melbourne” (2014) and “The Warden” (2019). His first feature “Melbourne” (2014) has attended more than 90 festivals around the world and received 14 international awards from film festivals in Cairo, Stockholm, and Gijon among others.

His next feature “The Warden” has attended more than 27 festivals across the world. His next script which was written with famous Iranian director Majid Majidi was “Sun Children” (directed by Majidi). It was among the 15 movies shortlisted in the foreign language film category at the 93rd Academy awards. 

Moreover, Javidi is a member of Asia Pacific Academy Awards and has served as a member of jury in the Gijon film festival 2016, Tbilisi film festival 2018, and Dostluk film festival 2019.

Founded in 1995, the GIFF is Geneva’s oldest film festival and one of the first in the world to include television in its programs. A crossroads of genres and disciplines, a place of experimentation, encounters and celebration, it offers every year for ten days, films, series, interactive installations and virtual reality works to some 50,000 festival-goers. The largest space in Switzerland dedicated to immersive arts, the GIFF has become one of the major events in Europe.

SS/SAB