TEHRAN-Six short films from Iran will compete in the 13th RIURAU Film Festival, to be held in the Marina Alta region in Alicante (Spain) in August.

For this year’s edition of the RIURAU Film Festival, there have been nearly 2.400 short films, coming from 80 countries. Twelve selectors have undertaken the extensive and delicate task of reviewing and rating the films until the screening time objective has been achieved with the final nomination of 43 shorts for seven screening blocks.

The festival has highlighted two groups of high-quality films: that of Iranian short films, a cinema committed to the social reality and the situation of women in the country, and that of Spanish short films, which reflect the growing interest and commitment of Spanish filmmakers to this format, capable of telling consistent stories in a maximum of 20 minutes, as required by the bases.

The Iranian short flicks selected for the event include “Sampo” by Marziyeh Riahi, “Suitcase” by Saman Hosseinpuor and Ako Zandkarimi, “Spider-Zan” by Maryam Khodabakhsh, “Beyond the Alleys” by Navid Zare, “Close Your Eyes” by Barbod Ataei, and “The Station” by Ahmad Noormohamadi and Hamidreza Arjomandi.

A production of 2023, “Sampo,” 13 minutes, shows a girl and her mother, a single worker, who reside in a low-income area of ​​Tehran. The girl constantly wishes that her mother would get a job at the memorial service, where the employees are treated kindlier.

Linda Kiani, Maryam Boubani, Hilda Kordbacheh, and Hannan Azizi comprise the cast of “Sampo,” which has so far, been screened at several film festivals in Canada, the US, Australia, Sri Lanka, and Bulgaria, and won the Biznaga de Plata Award for Best Fiction in the Affirming Women's Rights section of the 27th Malaga Film Festival in Malaga, Spain, in March.

A 2023 production, “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.

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

The 15-minute flick won several awards last year including the Best Script award at the 11th Parma International Music Film Festival in Italy, the Audience Award at the Kobani International Film Festival in Germany, and the Silver Yusr for Best Short Film at the 3rd Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Made in 2023, “Spider-Zan,” 13 minutes, depicts Negar, a young woman with a conspicuous scar on her cheek, who confronts a dilemma as she prepares for her marriage proposal ceremony. She must find a way to conceal her scar, navigating the complexities of societal expectations and personal identity.

The cast includes Zahra Aghapour, Roza Hashemi, and Narges Mohtashami.

A 2024 production, “Beyond the Alleys” is a 14-minute film about Mardin who finds himself in a critical situation and thinks of revenge.

Mardin Sheikh Moradi and Aynaz Aghajani are in the cast.

In “Close Your Eyes,” a single 6-year-old girl enters a house with her mother and while she is playing, she gets involved in her mother's work interactions with her employer.

Parham Shirijian, Hana Nasrabadi, Reza Amanlou, and Sanaz Roshani play in the film.

“The Station” is the story of an introverted man who is attracted to a young girl at a taxi station.

Hamed Mansourian, Fatemeh Daripur, Erfan Abdi, Amirreza Akbarian, and Mostafa Shahmoradian are in the cast among others.

The 13th edition of the RIURAU Film Festival will be held from August 17 to 28. Three towns, Denia, Xàbia/Jávea, and Jesús Pobre, will host the festival screenings, activities and meetings.

SS/SAB