Tehran International Short Film Festival


Tehran International Short Film Festival is a film festival held in Tehran every year in October with a focus on short films.
The festival was founded in 1983. From 2020 it is a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards and winner of the Grand Prix becomes eligible for the Oscar consideration.

History

TISFF started as a special section in the Fajr International Film Festival entitled "8mm and 16mm films” in the years 1979 to 1982.

43rd Edition

The 43rd Edition of TISFF will be held between 19 and 24 October 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

Awards

42nd Tehran International Short Film Festival

International Competition:
Grand Prix
"The Canon" by "Martin Seeger"
Best Short Fiction
"Baozhda" by "Keran Abukasimu"
Best Short Documentary
"My Name is Oil" by "Igor Smola"
Best Short Animation
"Winter in March" by "Natalia Mirzoyan"
Best Short Experimental
"A Visualization of a Cut" by "Claudia Munksgaard-Palmqvist"
MENA Emerging Horizons
"Whispering Rocks" by "Ali Mohammad Tarahomi"
Best Short AI Film
"The valley" by "Juan Zabal"

41st Tehran International Short Film Festival

International Competition:
Grand Prix
“A Short film about kids” by “Ibrahim Handal” From Palestine
Best Short Fiction
“Crack of Dawn” by “Anna Llargués” From Spain
Best Short Documentary
“The Granny & Fishes” by “Ehsan Farokhi Fard, Maria Mavati” From Iran
Best Short Animation
“In the Shadow of the Cypress” by “Hossein Molayemi, Shirin Sohani” From Iran
Best Short Experimental
“The Poem We Sang” by “Annie Sakkab” From Palestine
The Truth Seekers
“Incident” by “Bill Morrison” From United States
The Silk Road
“Anaar Daana” by “Nishi Dugar” From India
Immersive Media
“Tadpole” by “Diane Catsburrow Linnet” From United States
“Artificial Intelligence” Short Film
“Miracle” by “Afrouz Bavafa” From Iran

40th Tehran International Short Film Festival

International competition:
Grand Prix
“Qutar” by “Ali Alizadeh” From Iran
Best Short Fiction
“Everything Depends on Mr. K” by “Hassan Hekmat Ravesh” From Iran
Best Short Documentary
“Little Berlin” by “Kate Mcmullen” From France
Best Short Animation
“Once War Is Over” by “Simone Massi” From Italy
Best Short Experimental
“Now” by “Ye Yuan” From China
The Truth Seekers
“Gulab Gul” by “Semih Sağman” From Afghanistan/ Türkiye
The Silk Road
“Wind’s Heritage” by “Nasim Soheili” From Iran

39th Tehran International Short Film Festival

Best Animation
Absence by Marc Héricher from France
Best Documentary
Heimat by Giovanni Montagnana from Italy
Best Experimental
Bassin of Attraction by JONATHAN PÊPE from France
Best Fiction
Old Windows by Paul Holbrook from UK
Grand Prize
Descartes by Alejandro Alvarado & Concha Barquero from Spain

38th Tehran International Short Film Festival

International competition :   
The Prix
«Cylinder» directed by Amir Pazirofteh from Iran
Best Fiction
«Beyond Is the day» directed by Damian Kocur from Poland
Best Documentary
«I won’t remain alone» directed by Yasser Talebi from Iran
Best Animation
«Step into the river» directed by Ma Weija from China and France
Best Exprimental
«Identification» directed by Jean- François Comminges from France

37th Tehran International Short Film Festival

National Competition:
  • Best Fiction: Winged White Horse, by Mahyar Mandegar
  • Best Experimental Film: Adapt, by Kamal Kachouian
  • Best Documentary: Khoonyar Children, by Arman Gholipour Dashtaki
  • Best Animation: Red Fire, by Mona Abdullah Shahi
International Competition:
  • Best Fiction: Da Yie, by Anthony Nti
  • Best Experimental Film: No Award
  • Best Documentary: Kak Iraj, by Jamshid Farajvand
  • Best Animation: Candela, by Marc Riba and ''Anna Solanas''

36th Tehran International Short Film Festival

National Competition:
  • Best Fiction: Aziz, by Seyyed Mehdi Musavi Barzoki
  • Best Experimental Film: When A Woman Seated beside a Vase of Flowers after 154 years would get tired, by Shahriar Hanife
  • Best Documentary: Where the wind blows, by Mina Mashhadi Mahdi
  • Best Animation: Tangle, by Maliheh Gholamzadeh
International Competition:
  • Best Fiction: Super Comfort, by Kirsikka Saari
  • Best Experimental Film: Places, by Claudia Barral Magaz
  • Best Documentary: Histories of Wolves, by Agnes Meng
  • Best Animation: Untravel, by Nikola Majdak Jr. and ''Ana Nedeljkovic''

28th Tehran International Short Film Festival

National Competition:
  • Best Fiction: Bitter Milk, by Nasser Zamiri
  • Best Experimental Film: Delete, by Kazem Mollaie
  • Best Documentary: Charkh Nan, by Hossein Nazari
  • Best Animation: Kimiagar, by Mehdi Khorramyan
International Competition:
  • Best Fiction: Barbakan, by Bartlomiej Zmuda and Bitter Milk, by Nasser Zamiri
  • Best Experimental Film: Planet Z, by Momoko Seto
  • Best Documentary: I'm Going to Disneyland, by Antoine Blandin
  • Best Animation: El Niño Miguel, by ''Nacho Martín''

26th Tehran International Short Film Festival

National Competition:
  • Best Fiction: Tamame Vasaele Shakhsie Man Jabeja Shode, by Houman Seyyedi
  • Best Experimental Film: Minus, by Kazem Mollaie
  • Best Documentary: Morghe Sahar, by Mehdi Bagheri
  • Best Animation: Gorgo Mish, by Mohammad Ali Soleymanzadeh
International Competition:
  • Best Fiction: The Last Regal King Size, by Simon Hipkins
  • Best Experimental Film: Minus, by Kazem Mollaie
  • Best Documentary: What's your name, by Georges Salameh
  • Best Animation: Face, by ''Frank Kako''