TEHRAN – The 19th International Resistance Film Festival has announced its international documentary competition lineup, featuring works from filmmakers in Europe, Asia, Africa and West Asia. 
The festival’s second-day program also included screenings of Iranian features Midnight and Kooch, alongside animation, international cinema and documentary productions.
According to the festival’s press office, 18 documentaries have been selected for the international competition. The films are scheduled to screen at Mellat Cinema Complex in Tehran during the festival, which runs from October 29 to November 5, 2026.
The selection includes documentaries from Spain, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Greece, Turkey, India, Algeria, Costa Rica, Egypt, Morocco and Palestine.
Among the announced works are Write My Name, directed by Aniz Atlas (Spain); Sandy Bell’s Room, by Hassan al-Azzawi (Iraq); What If They Bomb Here Tonight?, by Samir Sryani (Lebanon); and Hind Under Siege, by Naji Salameh (Jordan).
The lineup also includes No Halloween This Year, directed by Lambros Papathanasiou (Greece); For My Dearest Fatima, by Ali al-Hadi (Lebanon); The Apple, by Mehmet Acaruk (Turkey); and Caterpillar, by Vipin Venugopal (India).
Other selected documentaries are What Remains, directed by Issa Younes (Lebanon); Passport Wedding, by Abdallah al-Ziyadi (Jordan); Desert Rose, by Oussama Benhassine (Algeria); The Twilight of Time, by Wainer Méndez (Costa Rica); and Gaza Reporter, by Fatih Şadoğlu (Turkey).
The remaining titles are Struggle of the Sea, directed by Neveen Shalaby (Egypt and Morocco); Gökyüzü Postanesi (Sky Post Office), by Omar Faruk Cetin (Turkey); and Hopeless Clap, by Omar Saleh (Palestine).
The festival’s educational program has featured a masterclass by veteran Iranian cinematographer Alireza Zarrindast, who spoke about the challenges of making accomplished films before an audience of cinema enthusiasts at Mellat Cinema Complex.
Zarrindast emphasized the distinction between filmmaking and making a good film, stating that the latter remains one of cinema’s
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