TEHRAN -- Iranian animated short A Faraway Place has won second prize in the competition for films for audiences over six at the 16th International Youth Film Festival “Light to the World” in Russia.
Directed by Borzou Farshad and Abbas Ghadir Mohseni, who also produced the film, A Faraway Place was made by the Center for Artistic Experiences and New Ideas of the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, known as Kanoon.
The film advanced to the festival’s final competition after being selected from 3,470 submissions. It subsequently placed second among the animated works competing in the over-6 category.
A Faraway Place follows a cow that decides to leave its farm in search of a distant destination. As the journey unfolds, the animal arrives at a new understanding of itself and its life, according to the film’s synopsis.
The 16th edition of the Light to the World festival took place Sept. 12–16 in Russia’s Yaroslavl Region, with festival activities held in several cities including Yaroslavl, Rybinsk, Uglich and Tutayev. The international youth film event showcases fiction, documentary and animated works aimed at children and young audiences.
The latest award adds to the short’s international festival record. A Faraway Place was previously selected for Filmmaker 
Sessions – Volume 11 in the UK, received an Honorable Mention from the U.S.-based Films That Move festival and was included in the official selection of Italy’s VisiOn Film Festival.
The recognition continues Kanoon’s longstanding involvement in animation and children’s cinema. The Iranian institution has produced a wide range of animated and live-action works for young audiences while also operating across publishing, cultural and educational programming.
For Iranian animation, the festival run provides another international platform for a short built around a simple narrative of departure and self-discovery. Its growing festival presence also places the film within the wider international circuit for animation made for younger audiences.
The Light to the World award marks the latest overseas recognition for A Faraway Place as it continues its international festival circulation.