TEHRAN – Iranian director and screenwriter Farnush Samadi has been selected to join the international jury of the Brussels Short Film Festival, which will take place in the Belgian capital from April 26 to May 6.

France-based Chinese actress Lucie Zhang, Iranian-born Swedish actress Bahar Pars and Belgian musician Antoine Wielemans are the other members of the jury.

A member of the Oscar Academy since 2018, Samadi is the writer of several movies, including “More Than Two Hours”, nominated for a Palme d’Or at Cannes and a grand jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013, and “The Baby”, which premiered at the 2014 Venice Film Festival. 

She is the co-director and writer of the short film “The Silence”, which was nominated for a Palme d’Or at Cannes. 

Her second short film, “Gaze”, premiered at Locarno Film Festival and was qualified for the Oscars. “180° Rule” is her debut feature film, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2020.

Samadi has worked as a jury member at several festivals, including the Beirut International Women’s Film Festival and the SEMINCI – Valladolid International Film Festival.

The Iranian movies “It Turns Blue”, a co-production between Iran and Greece, and “Silkworm”, a co-production between Iran and Canada will be screened in the international competition of the Brussels Short Film Festival.

Directed by Shadi Karamrudi, “It Turns Blue” tells the story of Raha, a 3-year-old girl, who is beaten by her father during one of her weekly visits and her aunt, Pari, tries to cover up the violence and manipulate the child’s mind so she remembers the whole incident as a simple game with her father.

“Silkworm” by Amir Honarmand, touches a universal topic of how smartphones have infiltrated the daily life of people worldwide and how young people of meager means covet them. A used smartphone sends Amin, a boy in rural Iran, to an unexpected journey.

52 films will compete for prizes in the international competition of the Brussels festival.

Winners of the Grand Prix in the International Competition and National Competitions are considered for pre-selection for the Oscars in the Best Fiction/Animation Short Film category provided that the film complies with the Academy’s rules.

Photo: Iranian director Farnush Samadi in an undated photo.

MMS/YAW