TEHRAN – A number of Australian cineastes will announce the 2020 Golden Gazelle Award for Best Feature and Best Short Film at the closing ceremony of the 9th edition of the Persian International Film Festival that will take place in the Australian city of Sydney on December 6.

The festival’s Feature and Short Jury is composed of director and producer Pat Fiske, director Peter Andrikidis, writer Romaine Moreton, and actors Rahel Romahn and Helana Sawires.

A lineup of 16 Iranian movies will go on screen in the official competition of the 9th Persian Film Festival.

“Son-Mother” by Mahnaz Mohammadi, “Pari” by Siamak Etemadi, “The Badger” by Kazem Mollai, “The Slaughterhouse” by Abbas Amini, and “A Hairy Tale” by Homayun Ghanizadeh are among the Iranian features.

“Son-Mother” tells the story of Leila, a single mother who lives in the poverty of today’s Iran. The factory where she works is facing a crisis and jobs are in danger. Kazem, the factory bus driver, proposes to Leila, but only under certain conditions. When Leila loses her job, she must face a difficult decision – whether to accept Kazem’s proposal, which would save her from poverty, but would also force her to abandon her son. In the end, it will be him who will have to decide.

“The Badger” is about Sudeh, a 40-year-old woman who faces a strange incident right before her second marriage. Sudeh and her son Matiar live in an old apartment. One day, she hires a pest control company to solve the termite problems in the apartment. While the pest control company is working, Matiar is recording the procedures, as this is his hobby. The next day, Matiar gets kidnapped after school, and the kidnapper asks Sudeh to pay 10 Bitcoins for her son. Tremendous pressure is put on Sudeh, but the truth hidden beneath will surprise everyone.

In “A Hairy Tale”, Danesh is in love with both cinema and Homa, a well-known actress. Kazem is in love with both the movie “Casablanca” and his barber shop’s certificate. Shapur is in love with both canned tuna and politics. The city is full of beggars while an earthquake may happen soon. Every now and then, the body of a dead woman, with head shaved, is found near the sea. As Inspector Kiani says: It’s a messy situation!

“The Slaughterhouse” directed by Abbas Amini tells the story of Amir, who has recently been released from jail and finds himself in a difficult situation when his father, who works at a slaughterhouse, calls him to help him cover up a crime that has happened there.

The festival will also screen the documentaries “None of Your Business” by Kamran Heidari and “Sunless Shadows” by Mehrdad Oskui.

The short competition of the festival features “Like a Good Kid” by Arian Vazirdaftari, “The Visit” by Azadeh Musavi, “Red Panda” by Ali Paknia, “Hedyeh” by Sahar Sotudeh, “Dilemma” by Omid Shams, “Each Other” by Sarah Tabibzadeh, “Funfair” by Kaveh Mazaheri and “Exam” by Sonia Haddad.

Photo: A poster for the 9th edition of the Persian International Film Festival.

RM/YAW