Shorts Programs
Global Shorts Forum: Rocking the Cradle of Civilization
A modern collection of short films highlighting the unique challenges people of Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian origin face.
Blood
Directed by Vathana Suganya Suppiah
United Kingdom/Australia, 2023, 10 min.
Georgia premiere
Against the backdrop of a Tamil coming-of-age ceremony where fertility is celebrated, menstruation is shunned and infertility is silenced, Shanti struggles to keep a secret.
Writer: Vathana Suganya Suppiah
Producer: Daljinder Johal
Cast: Bairavi Manoharan, Shruthi Yasothan, Neelam Bakshi, Taru Devani
A Good Day Will Come
Directed by Amir Zargara
Canada, 2023, 29 min.
World premiere
Arash, a professional wrestler with dreams of representing his country and winning gold medals, must decide between using his platform to stand up to tyranny or keeping his head down and remaining silent.
Writer: Amir Zargara
Producers: Amir Zargara, Iman Tahsin
Cast: Sia Alipour, Mehdi Bajestani
In the Garden of Tulips
Directed by Julia Elihu
USA, 2023, 14 min.
Southeast premiere
At the height of the Iran-Iraq War, Caroline takes a final car ride with her father through the Iranian countryside.
Writer: Ava Lalezarzadeh
Producer: Aaron Lemle
Cast: Ava Lalezarzadeh, Iman Nazemzadeh
It Turns Blue
Directed by Shadi Karamroudi
Iran, 2023, 15 min.
After a father slaps his 3-year-old daughter in a heated moment, he asks his older sister to help figure out a way of hiding the incident and wounds from his ex-wife.
Writer: Shadi Karamroudi
Producers: Shadi Karamroudi, Mehran Noori, Mina Dreki
Cast: Leili Rashidi, Mansour Nasiri, Hana Dezhagah
A Night of Gharam
Directed by Michael Gamarano Singleton
United Kingdom, 2023, 15 min.
Southeast premiere
Fed up with her cheating husband, the niqab-wearing Iman has the opportunity to impersonate another man's wife at a shopping mall, taking her on an unexpected adventure of self-realization.
Writer: Hassan Abdulrazzak
Producer: Agatha Ezzedine
Cast: Agatha Ezzedine, Nathan Altai, Fayez Bakhsh, Sofia Asir
Our Males and Females
Directed by Ahmad Alyaseer
Jordan, 2023, 11 min.
A father and mother are faced with the painful task of washing and shrouding their deceased transgender daughter. When no one agrees to wash her and shame falls onto the family, how far is the father willing to go to make sure his "son" is washed?
Writers: Rana Alyaseer, Ahmad Alyaseer
Producers: Mais Salman, Ahmad Alyaseer
Cast: Kamel El Basha, Shafeqa Al-Tal