TEHRAN – The Iranian short film “Damji” directed by Nazanin Chitsaz has won an award at the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA), which is underway in Tokyo, Japan.

SSFF & ASIA, one of Asia's largest international short film festivals accredited by the U.S. Academy Awards®, announced on Thursday that the Save the Earth! the Minister of the Environment Award went to “Damji,” which focuses on global warming, ILNA reported.

The award is given to the film that best conveys a message on environmental issues among all the films selected for the competition.

A production of 2024, the drama is about a child who, unbeknownst to the others, collects drops of wastewater and carries them to a distant location. The film will be available at the festival's online venue from June 12.

In the drought-stricken lands of Iran, children naturally adopt water-saving habits in their daily lives, and their actions gradually spread to others. This beautifully illustrates the concept of the “butterfly effect,” where small individual efforts lead to significant change and hope. The film effectively conveys environmental awareness through the genuine behavior of the children, all within just two minutes — a point that is highly commendable.

“This film appears to depict a world of water depletion and the disappearance of a lake in connection with global warming. It strongly conveys the magnitude of the impact caused by climate change and prompts us to reconsider the value of water that is often wasted in our daily lives without much thought. The way individual actions gradually spread aligns with the Ministry of the Environment’s nationwide campaign for a decarbonized lifestyle, known as “Deco-Katsu.” The Ministry views climate change as a critical challenge that must be addressed through international cooperation, and it hopes that each viewer who receives the message through this film will be inspired to take action on the issue of climate change,” the Minister of the Environment commented on the movie.

Born in Isfahan, Nazanin Chitsaz, 31, holds a master’s degree in dramatic literature from Tehran Azad University. She has directed five short fiction films since 2016.

On winning the award, she said: “I’m deeply honored to receive the Save the Earth! Minister’s Award from Japan’s Ministry of the Environment at the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia. ‘Damji’ tells the story of a critical environmental issue—the drying of lakes, including Lake Urmia in Iran—through the eyes of children. These children, as symbols of hope for a better future, remind us that even the smallest actions can lead to meaningful change. We all have a role to play in protecting the Earth”.

“This special award means a great deal to me. It encourages me to continue telling important stories and to use cinema as a powerful tool to raise awareness about the environment. I sincerely hope that one day we can all live on a green, safe, and peaceful Earth,” she added.

SSFF & ASIA established the “Stop Global Warming Competition” in 2008 in collaboration with the national campaign "Challenge 25 Campaign" to prevent global warming. In 2013, it was reborn as “Save the Planet!”. Since 2020, the festival has expanded the “Save the Planet!” awards to include more diverse global issues, with the aim of communicating the diversity of environmental issues to the entire planet.

Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia is an Academy Award® Qualifying Festival where the winner of the Best Short awards in the Live-action Competition, Animation Competition, and Non-Fiction Competition will be eligible for nomination in the short film categories of the Academy Awards® the following year.

The festival was founded in 1999 as The Short Shorts Film Festival (SSFF), and since 2004, SSFF acquired a program specialized in Asian short films and established Short Shorts Film Festival Asia with the support of the Governor of Tokyo. Now, the combination of the two festivals takes place annually in Tokyo as Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, one of the largest short film festivals in Asia.

Photo: A screenshot from “Damji”

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