The five Iranian Tehran short films will take part in the 19th Westchester Film Festival next month in Pennsylvania.
This year’s festival edition will be held from April 25th to 27th, and will feature short films (less than 30 minutes). Iranian participants include Shadow of the Cypress, co-directed by Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani, Like A Secret by Saeed Zamanian, 47:10:00, POV by Sama Ambasi, and 60 = 1 by Iman Davari.
“In the Shadow of the Cypress” was selected as Iran’s third Oscar winner and first animation to win an award.
It won the Best Animated Short Film at the 2025 Oscars at the 97th Academy Awards held on March 2nd.
The animation depicts a former captain suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who lives with his daughter in a humble house by the sea. Together, they must live isolated lives and face the challenges of harsh living.
Despite the Captain’s deep desire to be a dedicated and caring father, he finds himself unable to do his part and unable to connect with his daughter in the way he longs for.
One morning, an unexpected event will change their lives forever. It remains to be seen whether the event has proven to be a source of new hope or whether there will be additional burdens.
In “Like a Secret,” Balan, a nine-year-old girl, suffers from serious trauma due to a bitter family incident and motherly neglect.
While sleeping and waking, she experiences a horrifying nightmare living on the edge of dreams and reality. Baran tries to find someone she can trust and confide in, someone to share her secrets.
The “47:10:00” story takes place after a catastrophic accident. Hossain happens when his wife learns that she needs a heart transplant to survive within 48 hours.
Desperately, he turns to the black market, and is forced to make unthinkable decisions there. He is forced to sell his son to an infertile family to buy surgery. Hossain agrees, as there are no other options. I hope that this sacrifice is sufficient to save my wife.
“POV” shows a boy suffering from some of his bullied classmates. In the end, he decides to do something as dangerous as they feel sorry for them.
The art/experimental animation “60 = 1” tells the story of birth, growth, hope, love and death in 60 seconds.
The Westchester Film Festival films come from filmmakers around the world and showcase stories from diverse cultures, backgrounds, genres and perspectives.
The festival aims to not only celebrate the filmmaking experience, but also to nurture a festival that encourages the love of short films for all ages.
We’ll show you a wide range of events during the three-day festival, from Young Filmmakers Festivals to Filmmaking Workshops to pop-up blocks pressing red carpets.
SS/SAB