1st Born

Shirin is struggling to become an ideal Persian daughter, politically correct bisexual and hip young Brooklynite but fails miserably in her attempt at all identities.

A satirical take on the mundane absurdities of life in modern-day Iran, these nine vignettes illuminate the lighter side of enduring under authoritarian rule. Whether choosing a name for a newborn, graduating from grade school, getting a driver’s license, applying for a job, or seeking approval for a film script, if you live in Iran, you best come fluent in Orwellian discourse. Progressing along a rough timeline from birth to death, each story is shot in a static camera angle as a single petitioner negotiates with an authority figure hovering just outside of frame, who is practiced in the language of doublespeak.

A haughty acclaimed newly married fashion designer named Iraj is shown the door by his boss after the boss's son arrives at Iran to take over his father's company. Iraj reluctant to promulgate the loss of his job, starts using his savings, trying to conceal the truth from his naive wife. Having squandered all the money he had on trivial matters, he tells his wife about being axed & that's when the tables turn on him.

Kelly makes a significant trade without consulting her husband

A political allegory on four middle-class guys who pile into their car for a ski weekend. A brief stop at a picturesque vista leads to their chance discovery of a prominent rock formation it seems would be oh so easy to tip over, but...

A female election agent and a gun-toting soldier try to collect votes among the local islanders with mixed success.

In this comedic short, Joe McDoakes goes through the problems and anxieties of becoming a new father.

DJ kahkoh got a sponsor for a new music video and is looking for friendly donations but his sponsor has other things in his mind.

The satirical commentary on clergymen in post-revolutionary Iran. While in prison, petty criminal Reza (Parviz Parastui) comes across a clergyman, sparking a plan for escape. Reza dons his new acquaintance's clerical robes and makes a bid for freedom. He soon learns that being a clergyman brings little respect from the public. Reza travels to the outlying villages, from where he plots to escape the country. However, his plans must be put on hold when the villagers accept him into their community and expect him to perform religious duties. Will Reza's prison break transform him into an unlikely pillar of the community?

A yellow cab is driving through the vibrant and colourful streets of Tehran. Very diverse passengers enter the taxi, each candidly expressing their views while being interviewed by the driver who is no one else but the director Jafar Panahi himself. His camera placed on the dashboard of his mobile film studio captures the spirit of Iranian society through this comedic and dramatic drive…

An Iranian family survives the shah and the ayatollah and moves to France. This story follows the family through it all. Despite the politics, revolution, prison, beatings, assassinations and suicides this is a comedy.

In this Pete Smith Specialty short, a new father experiences the trials and tribulations of fatherhood.

A young couple have problems in their marriage.

When a large Iranian-American family gathers in New York City for the patriarch’s heart transplant, a family secret is uncovered and catapults the estranged mother and daughter into an exploration of the past.

Havoo

The peaceful life of the members of the Rabbani family undergoes changes with the unexpected arrival of a snake, the discovery of an exquisite manuscript and a mysterious hole.

An Iranian journalist couple wants to move to America to escape the difficulties of their country. The woman receives her visa but her husband doesn't. He stays in Iran and watches his wife find success on television and falls into a state of depression.

An Iranian film

Three friends are hanging out on the roof in Sarajevo. Their hangout is interrupted by the Yugoslavian time traveler who explains them that they are in danger and need to use the time machine to go back to Yugoslavia and warn people that the future generations messed up. They travel back in time to find themselves not in Yugoslavia, but in Iran. Clash of the cultures is evident, and they are forced to hide their identity. But the more they discover the city, the more they realize it is scarily similar to their own.

The story is about a doll named Amo Pumble who teaches children how to live in society by reading a magic book to children.