TEHRAN (IFILM) -- The Ignite Film Festival in the UK has awarded acclaimed Iranian short animation ‘Malakout’ (Divinity).
The filmfest organizers announced on Tuesday the short flick was picked as the best animation at the 2021 edition of the event held in Swindon, a town in southwestern England. The award for best sound design also went to Sorush Abedi for ‘Malakout’.
The award for best short drama went to ‘Asphyxiate’ directed by Nicole Pott from the UK and ‘A New Leash on Life’ by Daniel Jeffery from Canada won the best comedy award.
‘Black Moon’ by Ryan Graff received the award for the best horror film award and the best documentary award was presented to ‘Ina’s Circle’ by William Lorton, both from the US.
Directed by Farnouosh Abedi, the 11-minute ‘Malakout’ is about a piano player who has lost one of his hands, trying to bring his wife back to life, and can’t play the piano anymore.
Doctors decide to transplant a dead criminal’s hand to his body. The new hand awakens the devil inside him and the pianist starts killing people.
“Music was his passion… Love was his masterpiece…” a short synopsis for the animation reads.
‘Malakout’ received an honorary diploma at the Silk Road International Film Festival in Ireland, the best animation award at the Black Country Horror Shorts Film Festival in the UK, and two awards at the Florida Animation Festival of the U.S.
The animation has gone on screen at many global events, including the Crystal Palace International Film Festival in the UK, the Guadalajara International Film Festival in Mexico, the Galactic Imaginarium Film Festival in Spain, and the Annual USA Film Festival, and the Wolves Independent International Film Festival in Lithuania, where it was honored with the special award.
It competed at “In the Palace” Short Film Festival in Bulgaria, the Tulipoff International Film Festival in Denmark, the Shanghai International Film Festival in China, and the Izmir International Short Film Festival in Turkey, where it won the awards for Best Short Film and Best Music.
The Excellence Award at the biennial Hiroshima International Animation Festival in Japan, a Vitruvian award at the DaVinci International Film Festival in the U.S, and best short film award at the Cryptshow Festival in Spain are also among the honors achieved by ‘Malakout’.
The most recent awards gone to the acclaimed animation include Best Animated award at the HorrorFest International film festival in the US, best director award and best score award at the Dead of Night Film Festival in the UK, Bronze Jury Award-Best Short Film at the Celluloid Screams: Sheffield Horror Film Festival in the UK, and best animation award at the Primo Piano Film Festival (Premio Fausto Rossano) in Italy.