Nahal international student short film festival will be holding its 19th period and is willing to receive films from all around the world. Founded by the students, its biggest purpose is providing a space for students to screen their artwork to an international audience and prove their talents to the world, as it also desires to screen films from international students to form a worldwide connection between Iran and other countries.
Nahal goes on embracing those talented filmmakers who recognize cinema as an art rather than an industry. Nahal is proud to be a road for the students to not only make their works universal, but also ease their way into the main body of cinema and prepare them for the ups and downs of the future. It is also a safe place for the young mind to pour their thoughts in and present unprecedented works and ideas.
Nahal has become the most credible and known festival in the middle east and intends to expand its borders as to form an even bigger circle of connection.

History
Nahal Film Festival has its origins in 2002 when the students of Tehran University of art found their films rejected in a newly born festival called " Tehran university of art general festival", on a proposal of an independent film festival for students and with the support of Mohsen Hashemi the Ph.D., set up a national short film festival.
The first festival was planned for 2003 and was directed by Mohammad Haddadi hosting eleven films. As the years gone by Its quality grew greater and now after twenty years, Nahal has become an international festival with numerous categories and sections.

Nahal 20

Best Fiction Film
Best Foreign Film*
Best Documentary
Best Animated Film
Best Experimental Film
Best First Year Film
Viewers Choice
Best Director
Best Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Film Editing
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Costume Design
Best Production Design
Best Score
Jury's Choice
Nahal Academy's Choice

Film Directors must be students.

The films are to be completed during the year 2023-2024.

Fees are not refundable.

The films cannot be withdrawn.

Deadline will not be extended.

We will not accept multiple versions of a submitted film.

Any incomplete submissions or uploads will not be accepted.

In case of any copyright violations, all the responsibility and judicial accountability are on the filmmaker.

Submitting your film to the festival means accepting all the rules.

Films must be with a duration of a maximum of 30 minutes for a special screening during the Festival.

The films submitted from outside of Iran will be attended only in best foreign film award*

Technical regulations:

Video Codec: The film must be encoded as an H.264 file.

Supported Extensions/Containers: .mov, .mp4

Recommended Frame Rate: 24fps

Recommended Film Resolution: HD, FHD

All films must have external SRT subtitles in English.

For any additional questions visit the festival's website or contact us via email

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Thank you very much for everything

    June 2022
  • There was no communication at all.

    June 2021
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    Response from festival:

    Hello Johannes, we appreciate your comment and will try to fix the issue.

  • Jean-Robert Thomann

    Is it a real film festival ? My movie has been semi-finalist. I never receive any mail or information by the festival. it's a very strange feeling.

    June 2021
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    Response from festival:

    Hello Jean-Robert, your issue is our concern, we have made changes and fixed our communication problems, and we appreciate your helpful comment.

  • Got an Official Selection status. They never go in touch. Had to write through instagram. Days later after writing everyday they finally tell me that i was not selected. Lousy communication.

    June 2021