TEHRAN-Three short films from Iran will take part in the 15th Baku International Film Festival, due to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from October 4 to 8.

“Taxidermist” directed by Behzad Alavi and Sousan Salamat, “The Splint” by Mehdi Sedighi, and “Body Seller” by Alireza Shakeri are the Iranian participants in the upcoming festival, ILNA reported.

This year, 23 films (12 fiction, six documentaries, five animations) are competing in the International Competition - Short Film section of the festival. “Taxidermist” is among the short fiction films in the section and the short animation “The Splint” will compete with other animated short films.

In the Asian Talents Competition section, the short film “Body Seller” is in the line-up along with nine other flicks.

“Taxidermist” depicts Shahbaz, a taxidermist and animal smuggler, who takes a road trip to deliver a strange order to a client. A series of unexpected events turns Shahbaz from predator to prey.

Shaho Rostami plays in the 15-minute film with no dialogue. A production of 2024, the film was screened at the Moscow International Film Festival earlier this year.

Produced in 2024, “The Splint,” five minutes, is a production of the Documentary, Experimental and Animation Film Center. 

It revolves around a truck driver tasked with replacing aging wooden lampposts with new concrete ones along a gravel road. To accomplish this, he utilizes the boom attached to his truck, but he faces an unexpected challenge when a bird fiercely defends its nest, built on one of the aged lampposts.

“Body Seller,” a 15-minute social drama, follows Ahmad who, in his wedding ceremony, is concerned with the issue of who tattooed his wife, Sahar. Together, they go to the tattoo artist who tattooed Sahar years ago and ask him to delete the tattoo.

Sahar Zarin, Ebrahim Naeij, Mohamadreza Hasanzadeh, Kaveh Farjadmanesh, Mohadeseh Safari, and Armin Bakhtiyari play in the 2023 drama.

This year, a total of 79 films from 26 countries will be shown in the Baku International Film Festival, which is the longest-running festival in Azerbaijan.

Established in 2004 by the Young Filmmakers Center of Azerbaijan, it serves as a meeting place for young filmmakers, providing a great opportunity for creative people.

Each author carries ideas and wants to share them. Such festivals are the platforms for sharing and self-affirmation. This festival combines high human values, artistic taste, and a cinematic approach.

SS/SAB