“In the Arms of the Tree” wins top award at Canadian festival

TEHRAN – The Iranian feature film “In the Arms of the Tree” written and directed by Babak Khajepasha has won the top award of the 6th Muslim International Film Festival (MIFF), in Toronto, Canada.
The festival, which was held from October 10 to 13, presented the Best Feature Film award to the family drama from Iran, Mehr reported.
“In the Arms of the Tree” tells the story of Kimia and Farid, a couple married for 12 years, whose life crisis shatters their children’s world, children who know nothing but simplicity and kindness in life.
The film explores themes of familial relationships and emotional reconnections between parents and children. At the heart of the story is Kimia, a northern mother grappling with the trauma of past abuse and a debilitating fear of distance. Her husband, Farid, an Azeri father with a passion for travel and medicinal plants, adds to the tension as the couple prepares for a separation exercise.
The film captures the impact of marital discord on children, illustrating how their lives can be disturbed by their parents' struggles. Ultimately, it underscores the importance of love, connection, and the delicate balance needed to preserve a family in crisis.
Maral Baniadam, Javad Ghamati, Rouhollah Zamani, Ahoura Lotfi, and Rayan Lotfi are in the cast, among others.
A production of 2023, the film won two Crystal Simorgh awards for Best First Film and Best Screenplay upon its premiere at the 41st Fajr Film Festival.
Moreover, it has received the Special Jury Prize at the 10th Asian World Film Festival in California and the best World Cinema Feature Film Award at the 22nd Chennai International Film Festival in India.
The movie has been screened in several international festivals in countries such as China, Switzerland, and the UAE. It also opened the Kazan International Film Festival Altyn Minbar in Russia.
The Muslim International Film Festival celebrates the artistry, diversity, and excellence of Muslim voices in cinema.
The MIFF was founded to create a home for Muslim creatives and audiences in the global film industry. Since 2019, it has welcomed filmmakers and film lovers from around the world to Toronto for a celebration of storytelling that is bold, authentic, and Muslim.
The festival aims at providing a platform for emerging and established voices, creating space for nuanced, diverse, and authentic Muslim stories, and bringing together filmmakers, industry professionals, and audiences.
At MIFF, cinema is more than entertainment; it is a bridge between cultures and identities, weaving together the global ummah through the power of storytelling.
SS/SAB
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