The Deb

"A herdsman and his shadow"

A herdsman recently realizes that the number of his cows is decreasing and he thinks it's "a Deb." The Deb is a type of genie and a name for "Devil" in the Mazandaran province of Northern Iran; an evil creature that has lived in forests since the beginning of human creation. But after installing a CCTV camera system, it becomes clear who/what the culprit is.

  • Soheil Afifeh
    Director
    “Before the Party,” “The Warning Sign,” and award-winning “Child and Awakening,” and "Wait Until your Turn.”
  • Soheil Afifeh
    Writer
  • Fatima Ahmadi
    Writer
  • Soheil Afifeh
    Producer
  • Julieta Randall
    Producer
  • Dariush Badi
    Key Cast
    "Herdsman"
  • Magham Eslami
    Key Cast
    "Fellow Shepherd "
  • Julieta Randall
    Executive Producer
  • Andreu Jacob
    Sound Design
    Heart Cycles, Andetaget, Antikk, Sand, Lagos to Oslo, Wasteland, The Great Human Crime
  • Esra Civan
    Colourist
  • Julieta Randall
    Film score
    Slay Belles "Hey Santa," Insidious Ch 2 Trailer "La Llorona Insidiosa"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Horror, psychological horror, folk horror, suspense
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 26 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 10, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    8,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Language:
    English, Persian
  • Shooting Format:
    4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Rome Prisma Film Awards
    Rome
    Italy
    October 3, 2022
    October Monthly Picks
  • Festival Internazionale del Cinema di Salerno
    Salerno
    Italy
    December 2, 2022
    Official Festival Selection 2022
  • Luleå International Film Festival
    Luleå
    Sweden
    April 4, 2023
    Best Short Film Selection
  • Golden Short Film Festival
    Avezzano
    Italy
    April 27, 2023
    Best Horror Short Film Finalist
  • Boden International Film Festival
    Boden
    Sweden
    April 15, 2023
    Best Director > Short Film Selection
  • Dubai Festival
    Dubai
    United Arab Emirates
    May 26, 2023
    Best Horror Short Film Winner
Director Biography - Soheil Afifeh

Soheil Afifeh's Film Reel 2022
https://vimeo.com/758522423

Soheil Afifeh, born on June 22, 1987 is an Iranian film director, producer, screenwriter, teacher, and journalist. He created the short film “Before the Party,” “The Warning Sign,” “Child and Awakening,” and the award-winning "Wait Until your Turn” (Bronze award winner at Horror Movie Awards Seattle, New Generation Film Festival Poland, Lucio Fulci Awards finalist at South Italy International Film Festival).

He was the assistant director of the 13-episode series “Minor” on Tabarstan network, directed by Alireza Sabouri, and the award-winning documentary “The Kouch,” directed by Ali Ahmadi Zarin Kalaei. Most recently, he finished his new short entitled “The Deb,” which is currently being submitted to film festivals.

Afifeh has a master's degree in dramatic literature from Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran and a bachelor's degree in filmmaking/film editing from Sari University of Arts and Culture. At sixteen, he went to a screenwriting workshop taught by Fereydoun Jeyrani, a veteran Iranian filmmaker in the crime and mystery genre. In addition, he has authorial credits on the Theoretical Foundations of Cinema and Film and cinematographic criticism at Tehran Arasbaran Cultural Center, Hengame Art Institute, and Safir Art Institute.

Finally, Afifeh is a critic and editor for Filmkav Monthly. In this online and physical magazine, he has interviewed personalities such as Mohammed Ali Sajjadi, Sandy King Carpenter, and Asia Argento. In addition, he has authored books on the theoretical foundations of cinema and taught film, screenwriting, direction, and playwriting at Tehran Arasbaran Cultural Center, Hengame Art Institute, and Safir Art Institute.

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Director Statement

An avid film critic, journalist, teacher, and overall film fan, Afifeh attributes his love of horror to Fulci, Argento, and Carpenter, among many others