The Iranian films in the festival include six short films and a feature film by young filmmakers produced in the past two years, ILNA reported.

“Ahmad” directed by Amir Abbas Rabiei is the only feature film from Iran participating in the event. It recounts the untold story of the first 18 hours of the 2003 Bam earthquake, in Kerman Province, and a heroic action by the late army brigadier general Ahmad Kazemi.

One of the most notable soldiers in the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, Ahmad Kazemi (1958-2006) mobilized the IRGC AF fleet to rescue the Bam earthquake victims by preparing the Bam Airport in such a way that, a plane and a helicopter flew in every 13 minutes and a total of 30,000 wounded were moved by the IRGC AF fleet.

As the Iran–Iraq war began, Kazemi joined the war with a 50-member group in Abadan fronts and began fighting with Iraq. Direct presence at the front-line led to injuries to his leg, hands, and back. After the end of the war, he attended the university and got a BA in geography and a master's degree in management and defense spending. He made his doctoral studies in the field of national defense. 

Kazemi was appointed to the Air Forces of the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (IRGC AF) Commander in 2000. He was appointed as Commander of the Ground Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 2005 by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 

During his tenure in the IRGC Air Force, Kazemi took effective measures to improve the quality of the air force in terms of organization and structure, and for the first time equipped the IRGC AF with close air support Sukhoi Su-25 aircraft, and equipped the IRGC AF helicopter organization with purchased Mil Mi-17 helicopters. 

He was killed when the Dassault Falcon 20 plane that was carrying him, alongside 10 other occupants, crashed near Urmia. The plane crash-landed in a field in poor weather conditions. Reports indicate that the crew did not get three greens after selecting the gear down while on approach to Urmia Airport. A fly-past was done so the control tower could observe the status of the landing gear. While circling the airplane suffered a double engine flame-out, reportedly as a result of engine icing. An emergency landing was attempted in a field, but the plane crashed.

One of the short films is “A House Near the Sun” directed by Maryam Samadi. The 12-minute film is a production of 2023. The short drama depicts a tailor who refuses to leave his house and shop after the ISIS attack on the town of Kobane in Syrian Kurdistan. 

He hopes that his customers will return and he talks to people hiding in his house along with his family members. One day he leaves the house to prepare a special meal for his guests. Upon his return, he finds the house has been broken in and vandalized and the guests missing. His daughter and wife are being locked in a dark room with no exit. He breaks the wall of the room to bring them sunshine.

“The Dark Chocolate” written and directed by Farbod Farhadiyeh is another short film in the line-up. A production of 2022, the 6-minute film is about a shoeblack boy who is working in front of a clothing store until a man and a woman come to him and ask him to go into the clothing store with them.

Another short film from Iran is “The Steak” by Kiarash Dadgar. The drama is an eight-minute flick made in 2023. It depicts a mother who prepares a cake and food for her daughter’s birthday on an ordinary day. Suddenly, the enemy’s Army launches a surprise attack, leaving the mother with no time to escape, to protect her daughter, she hides the girl in a closet. The Soldiers attack the house and kill the mother. A medic soldier discovers the girl and tries to bring joy by celebrating her birthday. However, the birthday changed to a funeral.

“The Voice of Dogs” by Mohammad Reza Nazi will also be present at the festival. Produced in 2023, the 15-minute social drama shows a female dog that escaped from her owner to save her puppies, but her owner decided to kill her puppies.

The short film “Suitcase” written and directed by Ako Zand-Karimi and Saman Hosseinpour will compete in the Canadian festival as well. A production of 2023, the 15-minute flick is about a Kurdish refugee who lives in his suitcase far from his own homeland. In it, he carries memories of his family. When someone steals the suitcase in the tumult of the foreign city center, he loses his home a second time.

Saman Hosseinpour has another short film in the festival titled “Son”. It happens in a village in Kordestan, where an old mother is waiting for her son to return from military service. After a long absence, the mother tries to find him but she discovers a secret which pushes her into a dilemma to deal with her son’s identity.

According to the festival website, “The idea for the need for a Muslim film festival sparked after our founder, Hirra Farooqi embarked on her festival journey as a filmmaker across Canada. She quickly learned that the stories she came from as a Muslim filmmaker were not represented in these spaces”. 

This ambition was then reaffirmed once talking to her peers, where she learned that the lack of representation and narratives for her community was not just affecting her but her entire community. Recognizing the transformative potential of cinema, she embarked on a collective effort to establish a platform where Muslim voices could be amplified and celebrated.

Hirra Farooqi is a journalist and the founding Director of the Muslim International Film Festival. She served as the Production Assistant and Cultural Advisor for The Secret Marathon film. She is also the Toronto Race Director and National Communication Coordinator for The Secret 3K, an annual run/walk held across Canada and around the world in over 23 countries to promote gender equality and safe and inclusive spaces. Hirra is a first-generation immigrant of Afghan-Pakistani parents. Hirra is currently working on producing her own documentaries based on minority rights in her countries of origin, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Hirra currently does freelance work in Social Media Marketing and is a freelance Producer for online shows.

Over the years, MIFF has blossomed from a humble idea into a vibrant cultural institution, providing a platform for diverse voices within the Muslim community and beyond. Guided by the principles of inclusivity, creativity, and social justice, it continues to showcase thought-provoking films that challenge stereotypes, foster dialogue, and celebrate the rich tapestry of Muslim experiences and identities.

MIFF is a non-profit organization that is committed to providing a platform for both current and aspiring filmmakers, creative storytellers, videographers, designers, creatives, and media junkies to portray Muslim Excellence on the big screen. As an international platform, MIFF aims to include and uplift the diverse voices of anyone around the globe whose mind is bursting with a story and a dream to bring it to life, while breaking through barriers and advancing authentic Islamic themes.