Short films from a single country are reviewed every year in this non-competitive section, which will screen eight films from Iran this year.

The acclaimed movie “Better Than Neil Armstrong” by Alireza Qasemi is one of the films.

“Better than Neil Armstrong” is about four kids who start their journey to the Moon with the mission of finding a mysterious place called “Redland”, but the gates of the place are being guarded by a mischievous snake.

The sci-fi movie brought Qasemi the award for best director at the Via dei Corti Independent Short Film Festival in the Italian city of Catania in January.

He also won the Best Live Action Short Film Director’s Award at the 18th Pune International Film Festival in India in January 2020.

Visioni Corte also will showcase Qasemi’s movie “Solar Eclipse”. The film is about Saghi and her two friends, who have come to the largest park in Tehran to take pictures of the one-in-a-century total eclipse announced later in the afternoon. 

Mischievous and rebellious, they steal a camera stand, lie to their parents and discuss boys as well as an upcoming party. Their wanderings lead them to a remote part of the park. As the sun disappears, Saghi sees something that should have stayed hidden.

Directed by Mohammad Hormozi, “Inner Self” has also been selected for the Meridiani section.

The film shows music as the language of the human soul. A female violinist wants to enter an administrative building but as she lacks the formal hijab, she must stay in the waiting room. She is inspired by the events in the room to compose her new piece.

The Meridiani category also features “Haleh” by Jafar Mahyari, “The Blue Bed by Alireza Kazemipur, “The Visit” by Azadeh Musavi, “Vedas” Dariush Jafari and “World Cup” by Maryam Khodabakhsh.

Three other Iranian shorts will also compete in the various sections of the festival, which will be held in Gaeta from September 18 to 25.

“Pilgrims” by Farnush Samadi and Ali Asgari will compete in Kiddos, a section exclusively dedicated to children and adolescent protagonists with all different and often difficult stories.

“The Recess” by Navid Nikkhah Azad and “Witness” by Ali Asgari will be screened in the international competition.

Source: Tehran Times