WOMEN IN FILM AND VIDEO NEW ENGLAND ANNOUNCES AN ALL-IRANIAN WOMXN LEAD SHOWCASE SCREENING JUST IN TIME FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
For Immediate Release
Boston, MA, Tuesday, March 09 — On Wednesday, March 10, regular film festival attendees can opt into viewing big-screen releases in smaller, more intimate gatherings during this year’s virtual Iranian Filmmakers Showcase.
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Hosted by Women in Film and Video New England, in partnership with Women in Film and Television International, and That Child Got Talent Entertainment, spotlighted by Woods Hole Film Festival the would-be in-person affair will feature eight short films from Iranian womxn be held on a shorts program starting on March 10th and will be up until the 12th for viewing on-demand. On March 11, from 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm EST, Emerson alum and Oscar-nominee Sonia Hadad will host an immersive viewing experience on Remo. Attendees will be able to connect with a panel filled with the filmmakers as well as speak with other cinephiles.
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For three hours, Hadad will guide viewers through conversations with filmmakers, introducing each filmmaker along with their visual art piece. These movie makers will use this opportunity to fully capture and display different aspects of the Iranian experience for an international audience. The overarching event theme will delve into the idea of Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world. Notably, organizers will reiterate throughout the program ways in which watchers can continue to support and uplift women.
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“Women in film and video of New England is excited to host our sisters filmmakers from Iran and take time to enjoy and celebrate their work, especially during women’s history month. We are a global community, and the stories of our colleagues around the world are as important as the ones happening in our backyard.”said the President, Alecia Orsini, of WIFVNE
“That Child Got Talent Entertainment is so very honored to work with the all-women lead organizations: WIFVNE & WIFTI, to bring together a collective of short films produced, written, and directed by our sisters in film in Iran. Many thanks for the unwavering curation by Sonia Hadad! We are delighted to sponsor this event and look forward to many more to come! Blessings for another year of Women in Film!” added by That Child Got Talent Entertainment founder, Nerissa Williams Scott
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EIGHT FILMS FEATURED IN THE SHOWCASE
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Films featured in the event are as follows:
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The Oscar-nominated film shadows a young Iranian who sets out on a mission to transport a brown package at the request of her father. The anxiety-filled thriller unfolds in fifteen minutes, forcing the audience to question what may occur in each passing moment.
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Leila Kahlilzadeh - The Fried Fish
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The fish is yearning to see the sea once again. He asks a cat, a mouse, a dog, and a crow for help, one after another. They each eat a part of his flesh and carry him some distance down the path to the sea. But after a while, one by one, they put him down and leave. At the end, some ants throw the fish’s skeleton into the sea. The fish happily swims away in the deep blue sea.
Farzaneh Omidvarnia - Song Sparrow
This puppet short follows a group of refugees attempting to cross the border. As the smuggler transports them in a fridge truck, the exposure to freezing cold temperatures may dim their hopes and chances for a better life.
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Protagonist Marziyeh has always struggled with her religious and strict upbringing. Now, as a young married woman, she’s navigating the world on her own terms, learning to lean into her newfound sense of self and identity.
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An Iraqi sniper chooses to document some of his past soldier killings by tattooing their names on his body. The final tattoo, given by a young Iranian, may astonish viewers.
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A mother overcomes adversity to protect and provide for her daughter. Their journey brings them to a London river, or a bitter sea, that they gaze upon in the final scene of the film.
Farahnaz Sharifi - Revolutionary Memories of Bahman Who Loved Leila
Complex family drama and history intermesh in the 15min documentary, which takes place in 1978 in Iran.
On her way back from work a woman witnesses something happening in the bus and she has to decide if she reveals it or not.
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