Why it matters:
This year’s festival took on increased weight in the aftermath of the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, drawing a surge in entries that reflect growing global alignment between resistance narratives and artistic expression, particularly in the face of Israeli genocide in Gaza.
The big picture:
The festival received over 3,500 submissions, nearly double the previous cycle.
Works were submitted from countries including Tunisia, Argentina, Russia, and Iraq.
Organizers emphasized that the recent wave of conflict inspired artists to use cinema as a vehicle for expressing solidarity with global freedom movements.
What they’re saying:
Jalal Ghaffari, festival director:
“The storm following Al-Aqsa awakened many artists. They realized that resistance can form a bond between people and art. Today, resistance is the voice of every freedom-seeker in the world.”
Top honors:
🏆 Best Film: North from the Southwest (Shomal az Jonoub-e Gharbi) – directed by Mehdi Madadkar
🎬 Best Director: Mehdi Shamohammadi for Majnoon
✍️ Best Screenplay: Hamid Zargarnezhad, Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, and Mohammad Javad Eslami for North from the Southwest
🎭 Best Actor: Sajad Babaei for Majnoon
🎭 Best Actress: Roya Afshar for Tears of Hour (Ashk-e Hoor)
🥇 Best First-Time Director: Reza Keshavarz-Haddad for Kianoush’s Garden
Go deeper:
The increasing number of international entries and the thematic focus on Gaza, martyrdom, and anti-colonial struggle reflect a growing global current of solidarity with Palestine expressed through film.
Mojtaba Darabi
