TEHRAN-Two films from Iran will be screened at the 24th Tbilisi International Film Festival (TIFF), which opened in Georgia’s capital on November 26.

“The Night Guardian” directed by Reza Mirkarimi and “Endless Borders” by Abbas Amini are the Iranian works that will be shown at the Horizons section of the festival, ISNA reported on Sunday.

A long-standing category, Horizons section consists of 11 films from a diverse ensemble of filmmakers working from beyond the boundaries of Europe. Other than Iran, there are also films from Japan, Pakistan, China, Canada, and the Philippines among others.

“The Night Guardian” is Iran’s submission to the 96th Academy Awards in the best foreign-language film category.

It follows the story of an innocent village boy, Rasoul, whose carefree life is disrupted by his trust in a construction engineer. After leaving his village due to drought, Rasoul is relieved to find employment as a night guardian at a construction site. However, he soon discovers that something sinister is happening at the seemingly deserted location. As he becomes ensnared in the peculiar circumstances surrounding him, Rasoul finds himself trapped and in danger.

Mirkarimi's film, which debuted at the Fajr Film Festival last year, garnered nine nominations and ultimately won the best director award. 

A joint production of Iran, Germany, and the Czech Republic, “Endless Borders” is a political thriller that happens at the time when the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan reignited the fire of ethnic and tribal wars.

In the movie, the Hazara Afghans, who are under immediate threat from the Taliban, enter Iran illegally. Ahmad is an exiled Iranian teacher in a poor village of Iran close to the Afghan border. When he gets acquainted with a Hazara family, he sees the real face of prejudice and dogmatism in the region. He decides to save a young forbidden love but that decision can have dire consequences for everyone.

The film won the VPRO Big Screen Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in the Netherlands in February.

The Tbilisi International Film Festival is organized by Cinema Art Center Prometheus in Tbilisi, Georgia. Its aim is to present the best films from all over the world to Georgian and international audience, to encourage better communication and understanding of people from different countries and cultural backgrounds. Besides film screenings the festival provides workshops, lectures, Q&A's, and panel discussions to encourage domestic and international film professionals.

SS/SAB