TEHRAN -- Iranian short film ‘The Mould’ written and directed by Muhammadreza Nourmandipour, has won three awards at Italy’s Moon Arts Film Festival and secured selections at three additional international festivals in Colombia, Italy and the UK.
The film received the awards for Best Short Film, Best Humanitarian Film and a Special Acting Certificate at the sixth edition of Moon Arts, with the honors presented in October 2026. 
Produced by Nourmandipour and Leila Haghani, the short continues its international festival run with invitations to the 26th edition of Colombia’s Cine a la Calle, the 13th edition of Italy’s SOUQ International Film Festival and the fifth edition of the UK’s Hastings Rocks.
Cine a la Calle, established in 2006, focuses on audiovisual and cultural projects addressing social issues. The festival ran Oct. 20-24. Italy’s SOUQ, taking place Oct. 23-25, spotlights stories involving human rights, communities and the environment, with an emphasis on social exclusion, equality, migration and mental health. 
Hastings Rocks, scheduled for Oct. 30-Nov. 1, champions bold storytelling that confronts difficult realities and challenges the status quo.
‘The Mould’ follows a father who, after the death of his wife, attempts to raise his son according to his own methods.
The film has previously collected honors at several international events, including Best International Short Film at Shorts Mexico, Best Film in the Asian Talents competition at the Baku International Film Festival in Azerbaijan, and Best Narrative Short at Italy’s Nebrodi Film Festival.
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