TEHRAN-The Iranian short animation “In the Shadow of the Cypress” by Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani has won an award at the 28th LA Shorts International Film Festival, which was held in Los Angeles, California, from July 17 to 28.

The Iranian flick grabbed the Best Animation Award at the closing ceremony of the event, IRNA reported on Saturday.

Winning the award made the animation eligible for the next round of the Oscars although it had already been introduced to the Academy Awards in the short animation category after receiving top awards from two other festivals.

Co-produced by the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA), the 20-minute animation is the story of an ex-captain suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who lives with his daughter in a modest house by the sea. They have to face the challenges of a difficult life. One day, something unexpected happens and their lives change forever.

LA Shorts International Film Festival ranks among the most prestigious and largest international short film festivals in the world.

It is accredited by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences OSCAR, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts BAFTA, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (ACCT), the Canadian Screen Awards, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Spain (Goya Awards).

LA Shorts is the longest-running short film festival in Los Angeles. The festival screens over 350 films and attracts over 10,000 attendees each year including Hollywood industry professionals and emerging independent filmmakers.

The film programming screens all genres from a wide spectrum of categories with high to low-budget films 40 minutes or under.

SS/SAB