TEHRAN-Two short films from Iran are competing in the 54th Giffoni Film Festival (GFF), which was launched on July 19 in Italy.

The short film “And Next Year, When Spring” co-directed by Saeid Asadi and Mehdi Boroumand and the short animation “The Alchemist's Apprentice” by Erfan Parsapour are the Iranian works present in two different sections of the Italian festival, Honaronline reported.

Competing in the “Parental Experience” section, “And Next Year, When Spring” narrates the story of a girl whose father gets arrested the day before she has an important test at school. The girl wanders desperately in the village looking for someone willing to take care of her brother and thus allow her to take the test.

It is the debut film of Asadi and Boroumand as directors. The 18-minute flick, produced in 2023, has Shaghayegh Mokhtari and Yazdan Poorsalimi in the cast.

Participating in the Elements +3 section, “The Alchemist's Apprentice” is a 2D animated movie about a young alchemy apprentice who tries to fix his master’s creation discreetly.

The short animation, seven minutes, is based on an animated series that depicts Shahrouz, a curious alchemist’s apprentice boy, who goes on strange adventures with his master, Hakim. On their journeys, they try to get the elixir of life. On the dangerous adventures ahead, there is one thing that saves them: Alchemy!

Together, armed with their knowledge of the arcane and a formidable arsenal of magic potions, the duo confronts a host of fantastical creatures and treacherous foes on their quest to vanquish evil and bring forth justice. However, as they venture deeper into their quest, Shahrouz proves himself to be a wise and intuitive young man, often saving his master from the consequences of his own errors in alchemy. 

As such, their relationship becomes more than just master and apprentice; Shahrouz takes on a protective role towards Hakim as he guides him through their dangerous adventures. Hakim, in turn, comes to respect and value Shahrouz’s insight and judgment, leading them to become a formidable and effective team in their pursuit of wisdom and knowledge.

The Giffoni Film Festival is an Italian children's film festival that takes place annually in Giffoni Valle Piana, Campania. It began in 1971. The festival typically has around 100,000 guests.

It seeks to promote and develop cinema for young people, elevating it from the marginal position it had back in those days, and leading it where it belongs. The festival is dedicated to children and young adults. Its international jury is composed of approximately 600 youngsters per section.

Every year various international talent and stars take part in the festival to meet the jurors and discuss with them about cinema. The festival also holds masterclasses, workshops, and live shows.

This year’s edition of the festival will conclude on July 28.

SS/SAB