Five internationally acclaimed films that have previously premiered at major global film festivals and received prestigious awards are being screened in the non-competitive “Festival of Festivals” section of the 43rd Fajr International Film Festival.
Simón Mesa Soto’s “A Poet,” an international co-production between Colombia, Germany, and Sweden, is among the highlights of the section. The film, a tragicomedy set in Medellín, follows Oscar Restrepo, a once-promising poet whose life regains meaning through his encounter with Yurlady, a gifted teenage writer from a marginalized neighborhood.
Starring Ubeimar Rios and Rebeca Andrade, the film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize. It was later selected as Colombia’s official submission for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards.
“Ariel,” directed by Spanish filmmaker Lois Patiño, is another notable entry. A Spain–Portugal co-production, the film follows an Argentine actress who arrives on a mysterious island in the Azores to perform in a production of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” Blurring reality and fiction, the film transforms the island into a liminal space inhabited by Shakespearean figures.
“Ariel” won the Silvestre Award for Best Feature Film at the 2025 IndieLisboa International Independent Film Festival and later received the Special Jury Prize at the Olhar de Cinema – Curitiba International Film Festival.
Swiss-German drama “Late Shift,” written and directed by Petra Biondina Volpe, brings a socially resonant narrative to the section. Starring Leonie Benesch, the film portrays a young nurse navigating an intense and understaffed hospital shift that turns into a race against time.
The film premiered in the Berlinale Special Gala section of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival and was selected as Switzerland’s entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards.
Also screening is “The Message,” directed by Argentine filmmaker Iván Fund. The Argentina–Spain–Uruguay co-production is a road movie set in rural Argentina, centering on a young girl whose extraordinary ability is exploited by her guardians for profit.
The film had its world premiere in the main competition of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, where it was awarded the Silver Bear Jury Prize.
Representing Iranian cinema in the section is “The Wasteman,” written and directed by Ahmad Bahrami. The film follows a middle-aged wagon driver transporting a lifeless body through a silent, seemingly abandoned village.
“The Wasteman” premiered in the main competition of the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival, where it received the Outstanding Artistic Achievement Award.
The “Festival of Festivals” section is designed to present a curated selection of standout films from major international festivals, offering audiences a panoramic view of contemporary world cinema beyond the competitive framework.
The 43rd Fajr International Film Festival is underway in Shiraz from November 26 to December 3, 2025.
