TEHRAN – Two Iranian short films will take part in the 54th Huesca International Film Festival, which will be held from June 5 to 13 in Huesca, Spain.

“Besieged” directed by Kiarash Ardeshirpour and “Melatonin” by Hannaneh Daliri are the two films from Iran, competing in the International Short Film Contest section of the festival with 14 other short films, ILNA reported.

A 2025 production, “Besieged” is a 16-minute fiction about an oppressed mother in Tehran, who devises a staged plan to escape. At the very last moment, her secret plan for freedom turns into a nightmare as her little girl goes missing after school. Trapped where her lies began, she must live it all again: this time, her desperate lie has become reality.

Co-written by Ardeshirpour and Majid Barzegar and produced by Rainy Pictures, the film has Sonia Sanjari in the cast.

Kiarash Ardeshirpour, 33, is an Iranian screenwriter and filmmaker based in Tehran. After leaving a software engineering program to pursue acting, he transitioned into cinema, gradually discovering his voice through screenwriting and directing. He later earned a Bachelor’s degree in Film Editing from Tehran University of Applied Science and Technology in 2023.

Produced in 2026, “Melatonin” is a 13-minute fiction about Ali, a 14-year-old boy from southern Tehran, who works in a repair shop to support his family. After a period of detention, he discovers that his 9-year-old brother, Milad, has taken his place, a place that reminds Ali of hidden trauma. When he realizes Milad has also become a victim, Ali is forced to find a way forward between silence, the collapse of his family, and standing up against injustice.

Daliri has also written the script for the film, the cast of which includes Nazanin Keyvani, Mohammad Asgari, Abolfazl Khanpour, and Ayan Yarbeygi.

Hannaneh Daliri is an independent Iranian filmmaker, writer, and director. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts in 2022, along with degrees in Economics and a Master’s in Business Administration from Islamic Azad University. In 2018, she completed directing and performance training at a private institute.

Established in 1973, Huesca International Film Festival is a festival in the Spanish city of Huesca, province of Aragon. The event is dedicated to short meter films.

The Huesca International Film Festival is supported by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which recognizes it as a pre-selection festival for the Oscars in the category of “Best Live Action Short Film.” It is also recognized by the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the Goya Awards.

SS/