TEHRAN- Iranian director Oktay Baraheni’s “The Old Bachelor” will compete at the Transilvania International Film Festival, which will be held in Romania from June 14 to 23. 

The film explores the tumultuous relationship between two middle-aged brothers and their tyrannical father, who has a history of verbal and emotional abuse. The father's second wife left him due to his chauvinistic behavior, and now he directs his venom towards his eldest son. The younger brother, meanwhile, harbors dark fantasies about ending his father's life. 

When the father rents out the flat above to a young woman, who has her sights set on marrying him, the situation becomes increasingly volatile. As the woman's affections for the older brother grow, the family's fragile dynamics are pushed to the brink, threatening to shatter their already damaged relationships.

Starring Hamed Behdad, Leila Hatami, Hassan Pourshirazi, Mohamadreza Davoudnejad, Reza Ruygari, and Babak Hamidian, “The Old Bachelor” is Baraheni’s second feature film. 

His debut feature film “Bridge of Sleep” (2016) was screened at several international film festivals in Australia and Switzerland among others.

A film director, writer, and producer, Baraheni, 49, is a graduate of the fine arts from York University in Toronto, Canada. His successful career includes several short films and a documentary about the well-known Iranian poet and writer Reza Baraheni (his father).

The Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF) is presented by the Romanian Film Promotion. As the first international feature film festival in Romania, it has established itself as a significant event in Eastern Europe's film industry. 

Founded in 2002, the Transilvania International Film Festival is the first and largest international film festival in Romania and one of the most important film events in the region, with over 100,000 participants at each edition. The festival takes place every year in the heart of Transylvania, in Cluj-Napoca, a modern city with a rich history. Since 2021 Cluj-Napoca is part of the UNESCO City of Film network.

The festival features a competitive section for debut and second-time directors, providing a platform for emerging talent to showcase their work. 

Open to the general public as well as industry professionals, the Transilvania International Film Festival shows over 250 films and its program includes cine-concerts, concerts, as well as art exhibitions and meeting opportunities between filmmakers and the Romanian audiences.

SAB/