PERSIAN FILM FESTIVAL

The first ever Persian Film Festival debuts in Sydney this Thursday and will showcase many of the films that make Iranian directors some of the best in the world.

“Given that Iranian cinema has a lot of interest in countries outside of Iran, especially in the West, we always wanted to bring those films to Australia,” says festival co-director Sanaz Fotouhi.

The festival runs over four days and includes shorts and feature films including this year’s Golden Globe winner and Oscar nominee, A Separation by director Asghar Farhadi (Ed: you can see our review on the SCREEN page!).

“The aim of the festival is to bridge the gap between Australia and the Persian cultures, and by Persian cultures I don’t mean just Iranians, I mean people from Afghanistan and Tajikistan,” says Fotouhi.
“We also wanted to be a platform for independent and emerging filmmakers.”

Some of the films featured include: I Am Nasrine, about an Iranian family’s migration to the UK; Please Don’t Disturb, which looks at life in Iran’s capital, Tehran and is directed by Mohsen Abdolvahab;
and Heiran, a film about Afghani migration to Iran, by director Shalize Arefpour.

The politically independent festival takes an intimate view of life in the region and presents captivating tales from a part of the world unknown to many Australians.

Feb 23-26, Dendy Cinema Opera Quays, 2 Circular Quay, $21-30, 9247 3800, persianfilmfestival.com