2 Iranian short films to vie at fest. in New Zaeland

"Lover and The sea" written and directed by Ali Moazen and “Solar Eclipse” by Iranian directors Raha Amirfazli and Alireza Qasemi are to take part in the event.

"Lover and The sea" is about a married woman who betrayed her husband with a man who suffers sexual dysfunction. 

Starring Faraz Modiri, Payman Naeimi, Anita Baqeri, Paniz Esmaeili, and Khorshid Cheraghipur, “Solar Eclipse” 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.

Show Me Shorts is Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading international short film festival.

This year’s program includes more world premieres than ever before. A record of 14 brand new films from New Zealand and around the world are included in this year’s line-up, whose filmmakers have chosen New Zealand’s biggest little film festival as the first outing for their masterpieces. From over 1600 entries from across the globe, the Show Me Shorts selection panel has curated a spectacular program of 75 of the world’s best short films including three music videos. 

COVID-permitting, the Festival will be launched Friday 1 October at Auckland’s Rialto Cinemas Newmarket. Christchurch’s Opening Night at Alice will follow on Thursday 7, and Wellington’s Opening Night takes place at The Embassy on Friday 8 October. 

While Show Me Shorts is first and foremost an in-cinema experience, with the ability to go ahead in Alert Level 2.0 (with restrictions on numbers in the cinemas), this year there are also three online programs – an online Sampler, an online kids’ and family program, and a boundary-pushing Weird and Wonderful online package and will be screening online via Shift 72, a New Zealand based platform. 

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