LOS ANGELES PREMIERE / NOMINATED FOR THE BEST SHORT ANIMATED FILM AWARD

There will be a war between two nations, living on two sides of a mountain, in order to seize the sun. 

Director & Writer: Hazhir As' adi / Animator & Supervisor: Rashid Abedin

LOS ANGELES PREMIERE / NOMINATED FOR THE BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM AWARD

Can she move on? Story of a woman athlete from Iran who is trying to get back in fields from her accident and also faces deprivation because she does not agree to compete with hijab in international events and she must confront its aftermath.

Director, Writer & Producer: Saeed Mayahy / Cast: Dorna Mahini

View the pre-recorded Q&A here.

UC IRVINE'S STUDENT FILM / LOS ANGELES PREMIERE 

A healing and safe place for women in the mountains of Nepal brings into being the beauty of life.

Director: Ryan Wang

NOMINATED FOR THE BEST SHORT FILM AWARD

A starry-eyed actress with a troubled past faces her harshest critic during an interview gone wrong.

Director & Writer: Stella Velon / Producer: Jean Gabriel Kauss / Cast: Stella Velon, Alan Smyth, Todd Karner

View the pre-recorded Q&A here.

NOMINATED FOR THE BEST SHORT FILM AWARD

As Nazis separate children from their parents in the Warsaw Ghetto, a gang of women risks everything to smuggle their friend's three-month-old baby to safety. Inspired by true events.

Director: Rami Kodeih / Writer: Nora Mariana / Producers: Nora Mariana, Courtney Prather, Rami Kodeih / Cast: Alia Shawkat, Rebeca Robles, Dorota Puzio, Erika Soto, Jillian Federman, Sean Harmon, Edin Gali,  Mark Mccullough, Weetus Cren, Daisy Vernon-Huhn, Jason Bernardo, Michael J. Claman, Chris Homestad, Robert Hope

View the pre-recorded Q&A here.

WEST COAST PREMIERE

Year is 2087. Vera and Roberta are two “Abjurants”, women who refused to adhere to the Eugenics Programme imposed by the Government and who have been consequently confined to an unknown location and used as test subjects. 

Director: Antonio De Palo / Writer: Piero Rossi, Antonio De Palo / Producers: Piero Rossi, Antonio De Palo, Giampietro Preziosa, Angelo Troiano / Cast: Valeria Solarino, Claudia Potenza, Antonio De Matteo, Michelangelo Dalisi

LOS ANGELES PREMIERE

A middle-aged woman uses a temporary marriage agency to ensnare an attractive girl.

Director, Writer & Producer: Alireza Kazemipour / Cast: Anahita Eghbalnejad, Bita Beygi, Hamed Rahimi Nasr, Alipouya Ghasemi

Under the impact of the passing on anti-abortion ""Heartbeat Bill"", the struggling conflict between a pregnant 18-year-old and her devoted Christian mom begins to rise and their distinct beliefs gradually lead them apart.

Director: Chi Wang / Writers: Qianying He & Zhishen Bi / Producer: Qianying He / Cast: Sarah Brine, Anne Scottlin, Amee Franczyk

WORLD PREMIERE

Throwaway Boy is about a young man who exploits himself to achieve the American Dream.

Director: Michael Pinckney / Writer: Charles Becco / Producer: Charles Becco, Terrey Kelley / Cast: Jaelin Taylor, Lindsay Milligan, Alexander Emanuel

We would like to thank all of 2020 Sponsors for helping us make the 23rd Annual Arpa International Film Festival powered by Seed&Spark possible. Your generous support continues to embrace gifted filmmakers who are trying to make a difference. Thank you!