TEHRAN-Mehran Modiri’s second feature film “6 AM,” also known as “6 in the Morning,” will participate in the International Competition section of the 4th Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF), set to be held from December 5 to 14 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The 89-minute thriller is a production of 2024. Written and directed by Modiri, the film will have its international premiere at the Saudi Arabian festival, Honaronline reported.

In the movie, Sarah is leaving Teheran for three years to study for her doctorate in Canada. Her flight is at 6 a.m. After an emotionally fraught final dinner with her family, she heads to an impromptu farewell party at her friend Farida’s apartment, intending to go straight to the airport afterwards. However, when it seems good, things take an unpleasant turn.

The cast includes Mona Farjad, Samira Hassanpour, Mohammad Heidari, Babak Kamangir, Mehrdad Sedighian, Mansour Nasiri, Tinoo Salehi, Saeed Zarei, Khayyam Vaghar Kashani, and Mehran Modiri.

Mehran Modiri, 57, is Iran’s leading social satirist. Having studied theater at the University of Tehran, he is now director, actor, comedian, producer, screenwriter, host and singer. In 2017, he directed his first film, “Five in the Afternoon”.

The Red Sea International Film Festival values all cinematic forms, from narrative to animation and documentary, featuring films from Asia, Africa, and across the Arab world. 

Mehdi Fleifel’s “To A Land Unknown” will have its MENA premiere, a powerful drama that traces the heartbreaking story of two Palestinian refugees stranded in Athens that received funding from RSIFF. 

Also debuting as MENA premieres are “Sima’s Song” directed by Afghan filmmaker Roya Sadat, a drama that explores the evolution of women’s rights during the Russian occupation in the 1970s, and Indian director Reema Kagti’s “Superboys of Malegaon,” a critically acclaimed comedy based on the true story of a group of amateur filmmakers who come together to create a film that honors their city.

The strand presents challenging cinematic works with innovative filmmaking and great storytelling by emerging and established voices, including the Red Sea FF-funded “To Kill A Mongolian Horse” by Xiaoxuan Jiang, a film that examines the profound bond between humans and horses in Mongolian culture and addresses themes of gentrification and rapid societal change. 

Also screening in its MENA premiere is narrative feature “Moon,” directed by Iraqi-Austrian filmmaker Kurdwin Ayub, which follows a former mixed martial arts champion in Austria who, looking for a fresh start, jumps at an unexpected offer to go to Jordan to train three teenage daughters of a dazzlingly rich family living in an isolated mansion.

Established in 2019, the festival mainly focuses on new storytelling trends, as well as emerging talents from Saudi Arabia, the Arab world and the rest of the Global South. The festival looks at establishing a solid foundation for the film industry in Saudi Arabia that may contribute to diversifying the income of the country.

SS/SAB