TEHRAN – The Iranian short film “Unit 13” written and directed by Deniz Ghorbani has won an award at the SamhainBaucogna International Film Festival (SBIFest) in Spain.

It was the winner of the Best Short Film award at the October edition of the SBIFest 2025 monthly competitions, Honaronline reported.

Winning the monthly competition, the Iranian flick is now one of the 35 finalist films of SBIFest grand finale, to be screened at the Biblioteca Municipal Vicente Campinas in Vila Real de Santo António in Portugal on November 28, 29, and 30. 

The festival will conclude with an awards ceremony on November 30, where the winning films will be announced based on the decisions of the International Jury.

“Unit 13” tells the story of a husband and wife who, by approaching lonely young women and forming seemingly secret relationships, engage in fraud. Along the way, the story takes an unexpected twist when one of the victims discovers she is pregnant, giving the narrative a new tone and direction.

The 12-minute film highlights the dark corners of human nature and shows how many mistakes are paid for through a single event. Sepideh Saeedinian, Mahsan Yahyapur, and Amirhossein Fahadan are in the cast.

The SamhainBaucogna International Film Festival provides a unique space for both new and experienced filmmakers to showcase their films to an international audience. 

The goal is to support filmmakers worldwide by offering them a platform to compete in an International Festival, garnering visibility through social and other media, and seeking to build bridges with the distribution sector. Simultaneously, the festival aims to enhance regions with limited festival and cinema offerings by promoting accessibility for all through free entry to screenings, beyond economic means.

SS/SAB