Winner
PEOPLE’S CHOICE 2025
Grand Jury Choice – Short40
Selection

Mashhad

0:19:31 mins
United States
Persian

Synopsis

Set in the holy Islamic city of Mashhad in Iran, the film follows a spirited young ghetto girl, naive to the great lengths her family must go to keep their identity a secret. Unbeknownst to her, an innocent day of play with a neighborhood friend puts her and her family’s life in jeopardy.

What unfolds is an extraordinary story of religion as oppression, and faith as survival, and a retelling of Iran’s long lost ethnic group.

Title: 

Mashhad

Award Year: 

2025

Director: 

Sarah Solemani

Casts: 

Aunika Riahi, Ainaz Azarhoush, Neeve Junaid

Producer: 

Noam Dromi, Greg Zekowski, Adriana Rotaru

Writer: 

Sarah Solemani

Festival: 

2025

Category: 

short

Country: 

United States

Language: 

Persian

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