Iranian Film Festival 2021

Overview

How does a film festival celebrate a big milestone? By doing what it always does best. For the Iranian Film Festival, which hosts its tenth event in 2021, that means showcasing all of the latest and greatest movies from the Middle Eastern country. From winners at notable international fests such as Sundance and Venice, to the nation's 2021 Oscars submission, this year's lineup doesn't skimp on highlights.

When the event hits Cinema Nova between Thursday, June 3–Wednesday, June 9, IFF will kick off with Titi, Ida Panahandeh's film about an ailing physicist who's working on a theory about black holes and the end of the world. From there, cinephiles can expect to dive into flicks about a brick-manufacturing factory and its ancient methods, (The Wasteland) as well as music-fuelled road movies (Bandar Band). A certain standout, Yalda: A Night of Forgiveness topped the World Cinema Dramatic category at Sundance 2020, and spins a powerful story about a woman seeking atonement on television after being sentenced to death. Or, there's also Sun Children, the Oscar-shortlisted effort that follows a 12-year-old and his pals as they try to support their families.

In total, 17 films will play during the festival — which should give you ample opportunity to leave your couch behind for the big screen for more than a few sessions. That said, there'll also be an online component after the in-cinema fest, running from Sunday, June 20–Wednesday, June 30.