TEHRAN-Two short films from Iran won five awards at the 2025 winter edition of the Kraken International Film Festival (KIFF), which was held last week in Milan, Italy.

The Iranian winners included “In an Impasse” directed by Navid Ghiasi and “The Stake” by Kiarash Dadgar, Honaronline reported.

This season of the KIFF focused on films that explored the rights of women, exposing the turbulent waters of poverty, human trafficking, and the quest for equal opportunities.

The festival has been a voyage into the uncharted territories of sirens’ waters, where women’s stories are demanding to be heard.

“In an Impasse” won four awards at the event, including the awards for Best First Time Filmmaker, Best Produced Screenplay, Best Women Film, and Diversity Spotlight Excellence award. Moreover, “The Steak” won the award for Best Director of Short Film.

In the movie, Sara finds herself in a desperate situation: Her mother is hospitalized and needs urgent surgery to survive. 

With no help in sight, Sara faces a major challenge and must somehow raise the necessary money. In this impasse, she decides to steal from a luxury jewelry store.

The cast includes Azita Karimi, Mohammad Hosseininia, Bahar Farrokhi, Sahar Kimiaei, Khadijeh Amini, and Elaheh Sarouei.

A drama, “The Steak” is an eight-minute flick made in 2023. It depicts a mother who prepares a cake and food for her daughter’s birthday on an ordinary day. Suddenly, the enemy’s Army launches a surprise attack, leaving the mother with no time to escape, to protect her daughter, she hides the girl in a closet.

The Soldiers attack the house and kill the mother. A medic soldier discovers the girl and tries to bring joy by celebrating her birthday. However, the birthday is changed to a funeral.

Faranak Khamis, Amin Simiar, and Panisa Peyvakht play in the film.

Kraken International Film Festival is an international seasonal and annual competition with an annual live screening in the heart of Milan, one of the world's most enchanting cities.

The festival aims not only to reward filmmakers' works with a certification made by industry professionals, but also offers a monetary prize, a feature not common to all festivals. The cash prize is the sweet icing on the cake, providing an opportunity to potentially gain income for the hard work, or perhaps to set funds for the next project.

The annual event will take place in early February 2026. Every seasonal winner will be automatically selected for the annual competition, where the final winners will win monetary prizes. Only a selection of winning films will be screened, which will be announced a month prior to the event.

KIFF is not just an event; it's a celebration of the undiscovered, a journey into the depths of storytelling that will leave the audience questioning reality. The festival organizers believe in elevating cinematic treasures from the abyss, welcoming all genres that stir the audience on a profound level.

SS/SAB