TEHRAN-The Iranian film “Between the Cliffs” written and directed by Mokhtar Abdollahi will be screened at the Open Cinema section of Seoul International Children's Film Festival, that is slated to be held from September 13 to 20 in Seoul, South Korea.

The feature film will be shown along with six other films from South Korea, Japan, Norway and the U.S. in the non-competition section of the festival, ISNA reported.

The film tells the story of Ebrahim and his little sister Ilma, who tend their cattle in the mountains when their parents go to town on an errand. In a rock crevice, honeybees buzz and Ebrahim climbs for their nest. Easier said than done – with an injured foot, Ebrahim gets stuck on a ledge. Now it's up to Ilma to manage on her own.

Hamidreza Gheibi, Andia Yahyapour, Maryam Alahmad and Esmaeil Moradi are in the cast of the film that is produced by the Documentary, Experimental and Animation Film Center of Iran.

Mokhtar Abdollahi, 47, is a graduate of scriptwriting. He is best known for his short story collection, “Seven” (2009), and his novel, “Cubic Man” (2012). 

“Between the Cliffs” is Abdollahi’s debut feature film that was made in 2021. The 78-minute drama was premiered at the national competition section of Isfahan Children’s Film Festival in Iran and won Grand Prix and the Best Child Actress Award in the event.

It has so far participated in four international film festivals so far including Dhaka International Film Festival (January 2023, Bangladesh), BUFF Film Festival (March 2023, Sweden), CMS International Children’s Film Festival (April 2023, India) and Within the Family Film Festival (July 2023, Russia).

Taking part in the Children’s Films Competition section of the Russian festival, the movie grabbed Best Film Award and Best Performance Award (jointly for Hamid Reza Gheibi and Andia Yahyapour).

Open Cinema is a program for those unfamiliar with film festivals or those seeking movies for the whole family to watch together. Therefore, the sections are comprised with a focus on empathy and entertainment across generations.

The principal objective of the Seoul International Children’s Film Festival is to present the most outstanding films for children, youth, and families produced from all over the world. Established in 2013, SICFF strives to encourage the youth who will lead the film industry and support them to get various opportunities. It realizes the importance of culture that all the family members can share and cherish. The festival attempts to introduce a variety of genres from domestic and foreign dealing with different and necessary themes regarding children.

A total of 136 films from 41 countries will be screened at different competition and non-competition sections of the festival this year.

SS/