Tehran Times Art Desk

The Iranian Committee for Selecting a Film for the Academy Awards selected director Asghar Farhadi's "About Elly" to represent Iranian cinema in the category of Best Foreign Language Film at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards in 2010.  The committee picked the movie for its solid structure, refined technique, and superb content, as well as its national and international success.

Filmmakers Kamal Tabrizi, Kianush Ayyari, Mohammad Davudi; and producers Iraj Taqipur, Morteza Razzaq-Karimi, Jamal Sadatian, Ali Moallem, and director of the International Department of the Farabi Cinematic Foundation Amir Esfandiari are the committee members.

"About Elly" was selected as the Iranian representative from among three other films: "Penniless", directed by Hamid Nematollah, "Twenty" by Abdorreza Kahani, and "Hesitation" by Varuj Karim-Massihi.

The movie won a Silver Bear for best director at the Berlinale 2009 and was also awarded in the Best Narrative Feature category at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2009. It also grabbed the Crystal Simorgh for best director at the 27th Fajr International Film Festival.

Iran's "About Elly" also shared the NETPAC Jury Award with Thailand's "Agrarian Utopia" at the 18th Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) in Australia. It also took part in several other festivals including the 44th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, and the Traverse City Film Festival.

Starring Shahab Hosseini, Golshifteh Farahani, Mani Haqiqi, Saber Abar and Merila Zarei, "About Elly" tells the story of middle class Iranians whose trip to the Caspian Sea turns into a disaster as they try to maintain their social customs.

France's Memento Films International, a film sales company, purchased the film's screening rights.

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