OFFICIAL SELECTION
2017 Festival Program
The 6th Persian International Film Festival closed successfully in Sydney having attracted over 2,000 audiences in Sydney. In 2017, the festival screened 8 features, 8 short films and held a retrospective on acclaimed director Amir Naderi. In addition, In partnership with Art Gallery NSW and The Association of Iranica in Australasia, we hosted a full day of engagement, discussion and cutting-edge research on Iranian Cinema and held a tribute to Abbas Kiarostami.

Golden Gazelle Winners
At the Closing Night of the 6th Persian Film Festival the Jury members Rosemary Blight, Ben Ferris, Jen Peedom, Osamah Sami and Rebecca Barry announced the winners of the 2017 GOLDEN GAZELLE AWARD for Best Feature and Best Short Film.
Jury Members
Rosemary Blight
Rosemary Blight is one of the founding partners of Goalpost Pictures Australia a leading independent producer of Feature Film and TV drama. Film credits include HOLDING THE MAN, directed by [...]
Ben Ferris
Ben Ferris is one of the founders of Sydney Film School, where he is currently the Director and a writing/directing teacher. Ferris, a film writer/director, has screened films and won numerous [...]
Jen Peedom
Jen Peedom is a BAFTA nominated director, known for her gripping, intimate portraits of people in extreme circumstances. Her credits include the internationally renowned documentaries SOLO, SHERPA and most recently [...]
Osamah Sami
Osama Sami is an award-winning actor, writer, poet and comedian, born in war-torn Iran to Iraqi parents. His critically acclaimed memoir Good Muslim Boy, published by Hardie Grant, was the Winner [...]
Rebecca Barry
Rebecca’s driving passion is to facilitate stories, share these with an audience in a creative way and get people thinking. She was director and producer of the feature documentary, I [...]
Best Feature
Best Short
Retrospective
Persian International Film Festival, in partnership with Cinema Azadi, is proud to be holding a screening of BASHU, THE LITTLE STRANGER and a presentation in honor of acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Amir Naderi who has been screened and awarded nationally and internationally.
Special Tribute & Symposium
In partnership with Art Gallery NSW and The Association of Iranica in Australasia, we will host a full day of engagement, discussion and cutting-edge research on Iranian Cinema on 8th of October 2017.
This conference features cross-disciplinary discourse on the impact and presence of Iranian cinema across the globe and includes screening of above films in honnor of acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami.
Associate Professor Negar Mottahedeh from Duke University
in the United States will present alongside Australian experts in contemporary Iranian Film and Screen, including Dr Amin Palangi, from Western Sydney University, Dr Michelle Langford from the University of NSW, Dr Rosa Holman from Deakin University, Dr Gay Breyley from Monash University, a PhD panel of students in Film & Screen Studies and the Art Gallery NSW film program producer, Ruby Arrowsmith-Todd. There will also be a live ensemble performance of Persian Classical Music.
Feature Films
Short Films
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