TEHRAN – A lineup of 13 Iranian and Afghan movies will go on screen in the official competition of the 8th Persian Film Festival in the Australian city of Sydney, the organizers announced on Sunday. 

“Suddenly a Tree” by Safi Yazdanian, about a man who is freed from prison after many years and looks for his old love; “African Violet” by Mona Zandi-Haghighi, about a woman who chooses to look after her former husband who is suffering from an illness; and “Takhti” by Bahram Tavakkoli, a biopic about legendary Iranian wrestler Gholamreza Takhti, are among the films.

The lineup also includes “Leakage” by Suzan Iravanian, “Astigmatism” by Majidreza Mostafavi, “Orange Days” by Arash Lahuti, “The Oath” by Mohsen Tanabandeh, “Tala” by Parviz Shahbazi and “Reza” by Alireza Motamedi.

Also included are Iran’s submission to the 2020 Oscars “Finding Farideh” co-directed by Azadeh Musavi and Kurosh Atai, “The Dark Room” by Ruhollah Hejazi and “Numbness” by Hossein Mahkam.

“Seven and a Half”, a co-production between Afghanistan and Iran by Tehran-based Afghan brothers Jamshid and Navid Mahmudi, and “The Orphanage” by Afghan director Shahrbanu Sadat will also go on screen in this section.

Iranian director Kianush Ayyari’s controversial movie “The Paternal House” will be screened at the special screening section. 

The festival will also screen “The Swallows of Kabul”, a French animated film co-directed by Zabou Breitman and Eléa Gobé Mévellec, about a young Afghan couple who lives in Kabul under Taliban rule.

The festival’s lineup of short films will be announced in the near future.

The 8th Persian Film Festival will be held from December 4 to 8.

Photo: A scene from “Suddenly a Tree” by Safi Yazdanian.

ABU/MMS/YAW