Cinema Without Borders is proud to announce that the Nahal International Student Short Film Festival in Tehran, Iran, will join the Bridging the Borders Award program in 2027, expanding the award’s international presence and its commitment to discovering and supporting emerging filmmakers.
Founded in 2002 by students at Tehran University of Art, Nahal has grown into one of the Middle East’s most recognized student film festivals. Created as an independent platform for young filmmakers whose works struggled to find opportunities for exhibition, the festival has evolved into an international celebration of creativity, artistic independence, and cinematic innovation.
Now preparing for its 21st edition, Nahal welcomes submissions from student filmmakers around the world, seeking to build meaningful connections between young artists in Iran and their counterparts across international borders.
Unlike festivals driven primarily by commercial considerations, Nahal places artistic expression at the center of its mission. It encourages young filmmakers to explore unconventional ideas, experiment with cinematic language, and develop their individual voices. The festival also serves as a bridge between student filmmaking and the professional world of cinema.
The addition of Nahal to the Bridging the Borders Award program is particularly meaningful. Since its establishment in 2007, Cinema Without Borders’ Bridging the Borders Award has celebrated filmmakers whose works promote understanding, compassion, and dialogue across cultural, national, and social boundaries.
By bringing the award to Nahal, Cinema Without Borders reaffirms its belief that the next generation of filmmakers has an essential role in building bridges between people and cultures.
The 2027 Bridging the Borders Award at Nahal will recognize a student filmmaker whose work reflects the spirit of human connection, cultural understanding, and the power of cinema to transcend borders.
Cinema Without Borders looks forward to this new collaboration with Nahal International Student Short Film Festival and to celebrating the vision and creativity of young filmmakers from Iran and around the world.
