MikroFAF, according to the event’s website, is the annual international festival of short films devoted to promotion and development of the independent and DIY film production. This competitive festival spotlights a different theme every year, and this years’ festival was titled Caged Edition.

During the award ceremony held on 19th October in the Museum of Yugoslav Cinematheque, three Iranian filmmakers were picked out of 78 titles in competition to receive awards in various categories.

According to the festival, many of the winning titles dealt with with the subjects of non-freedom and limitations, war or political cages, psychological slavery or artistic blocks.

The Jury gave the MIKROPOLIS AWARD for the best foreign do-it-yourself film to Ali Erfan Farhadi’s film ‘I You We 2’ for its “atypical directorial expression in an attempt to raise the awareness about the ecologically correct behavior. Auto-critical, funny and effective.”

The MIKROPOLIS AWARD for the best independent film was given to Behzad Khodaveisi’s film ‘A Gift for a Gloomy Day’ for its “contemporaneous existentialist story with an effective, unexpected and humorous twist, as well as the successful incorporation of the comical element of surprise into the dark state of the protagonist.”

Besides the awards given by the festival Jury, this years edition of MikroFAF included the unofficial awards by the Knjigoskop blog, a platform devoted to children’s and youth literature. Knjigoskop gave its awards for the best film made by a teenager to the animated film ‘The Look’ by Iranian filmmaker Shayan Naghibi.  

MS