ISRAFIL
By Ida Panahandeh
Original title – ISRAFIL
International title – ISRAFIL
Synopsis
Mahi is a widow mourning the death of her only son. One day she bumps into Behrooz, her teenage sweetheart, who had left Iran following the scandal of his relationship with her.
Despite their families’ objections, the previous relationship begins to re-assert itself.
Mahi, however, finds out that Behrooz is emotionally involved with a young woman, Sara, who in turn learns of her fiancé’s previous love.
Sara is now in two minds about marrying Behrooz and emigrating to Canada. On the horns of these emotional entanglements the three characters have to make decisions not only about their emotions, but also their future lives.
Cast
Hedieh Tehrani
Pejman Bazeghi
Hoda Zeinolabedin
MERILA ZAREI
Pouria Rahimi Sam
Crew
Director – Ida Panahandeh
Screenplay – Arsalan Amiri & Ida Panahandeh
Director of Photography – Morteza Gheidi
Editing – Hayedeh Safiyari
Original Music – Majid Pousti
Sound Designer – Hossein Abolsedgh
Sound Recordist – Jahangir Mirshekari & Mehdi Ebrahimzadeh
Set Designer – Keyvan Moghadam
Costume Designer – Sara Samiey
Make-Up Artist – Soudabeh Khosravi
Stills Photographer – Omid Salehi
Executive producer – Hamed Parvinkhosravi
Production Manager – Hossein Beshgard
Producer – Mastaneh Mohajer
Production Company – Avaye Nafas Studio
Awards & Festivals
- Winner of: ‘NETPAC Award’ – 7th Iranian Film Festival Australia, 2017.
Jury members: Kiki Fung, Frances Bonner, Michelle Langford
Jury comment: In a film that evokes the elegance of classical Iranian drama, mixed emotions of love, longing and regret are quietly moving; the reflection on women’s condition poignantly revealing. For its thoughtful narrative structure and its gentle and poetic use of cinematic space, the jury unanimously gives the NETPAC Award for Best Film to Israfil. - Winner of: ‘Audience Award – 2nd Sheed Persian Film Festival, Dallas, USA, 2017.
- Winner of: 1) ‘Best Film’
- Winner of: 2) ‘Best Technical Achievement Award – Hayedeh Safiyari’ – 3rd CineIran Festival, Toronto, Canada, 2017.
- Winner of: ‘SILVER FIFOG Award – Best Film’ – 13th Festival International du Film Oriental de Genève, Switzerland, 2018.
- Winner of: ‘New Talent Award – Best Second Feature Film’ – 6th DUHOK International Film Festival, KRG, Iraq, 2018.
- 61st BFI London Film Festival, UK. October 04-15, 2017. ‘Official Selection-LOVE’.
- 7th Iranian Film Festival Australia, MELBOURNE, BRISBANE, SYDNEY, ADELAIDE, PERTH, CANBERRA. October 26-November 17, 2017. ‘Competitive’ section.
- Hong Kong Asian Film Festival. October 31-November 20, 2017. ‘Non Competitive Festival’.
- 2nd Sheed Persian Film Festival, Dallas, USA. November 10-12, 2017. ‘Competitive’ section.
- 3rd CineIran Festival, Toronto, Canada. November 17-19, 2017. ‘Competitive’ section.
- 7th ÍRÁN:CI, Iranian Film Festival, Prague, Brno and Bratislava, Czech Republic. January 09-20, 2018. ‘Competitive’ section.
- 16th Dhaka International Film Festival, Bangladesh. January 12-20, 2018. ‘Women Filmmakers Competitive’ section.
- 41st Göteborg Film Festival, Sweden. January 26-February 05, 2018. ‘International Competitive’ section.
- 16th Audi Dublin International Film Festival, Irland. February 22-March 04, 2018.
Screening date: Tuesday 27 February
Time: 20:45 / Cinema: Lighthouse 3 - Edinburgh Iranian Film Festival, Scotland, UK. February 23-March 01, 2018. ‘Non Competitive Festival’.
Venue: Filmhouse Cinema / Screening date: Friday, February 23, 2018. - 16th Filmmor Women’s Film Festival, Istanbul, Turkey. March 10-17, 2018.
- 17th WOW Wales One World Film Festival, UK. March 13-31, 2018. ‘Non Competitive Festival’.
Screening dates: Monday , March 19 : Aberystwyth / Thursday, April 12 : Theatr Clwyd - Festival International du Film d’Aubagne, France. Mars 19-24, 2018. ‘Competitive’ section.
- Danish Film Institute/Cinematheque in Copenhagen ‘New Iranian Cinema’, Denmark. April 17&25, 2018.
- MOOOV–films facing the world, Turnhout & Bruges, Belgium. April 17-April 29, 2018. ‘Non Competitive’ section.
- 13ème Festival International du Film Oriental de Genève (FIFOG), Suisse. April 21-29, 2018. ‘Competitive’ section.
- Iranian Film Series, UCLA Film & Television Archive, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Screening date: Sunday, April 29, 2018. ‘Non Competitive Festival’. - 21st The Flying Broom Women’s Film Festival, Ankara, Turkey. May 10-17, 2018. ‘Competitive’ section.
- 5th Köln Iranian Film Festival, Germany. May 17-21, 2018. ‘Competitive’ section.
- 4th Iranian Film Festival Zurich (IFFZ), Switzerland. May 24-30, 2018. ‘Competitive’ section.
- National Museum of XXI Century Arts, Rome, Italy. June 23, 24 & 25, 2018.
- YARI Film Festival, Stockholm, Sweden. September 22-23, 2018.
- 6th DUHOK International Film Festival, KRG, Iraq. October 20-27, 2018. World Cinema, ‘Competitive’ section.
- 19e Festival du Monde Arabe de Montréal, Canada. October 26-November 11, 2018.
- 15e Panorama des cinémas du Maghreb et du Moyen-Orient (PCMMO), Seine-Saint-Denis, Paris, France. March 03-21, 2020.
- Festival Moussem Cities Teheran, Brussels, Belgium. Screening date: February 10, 2023 in Cinema Aventure.
