Award-winning Iranian-Canadian feature film MORTICIAN, directed by Abdolreza Kahani, has received new recognition from the U.S.-based entertainment publication The Hollywood Times following its opening-night screening at the 34th UCLA Celebration of Iranian Cinema.
In an extensive review by journalist Robert St. Martin, The Hollywood Times describes MORTICIAN as a powerful exploration of exile, identity, and the lasting impact of political repression on Iranians living outside their homeland. The article focuses on the film’s central characters, Mojtaba and Jana, two Iranian exiles whose lives intersect in Canada while carrying different experiences of displacement, loss, and resistance.
The review notes that while the film addresses political realities affecting the Iranian diaspora, its greatest strength lies in its humanity. St. Martin highlights the evolving relationship between the two protagonists, emphasizing the film’s balance of dark humor, emotional depth, and social commentary.
The article also draws attention to Kahani’s distinctive filmmaking approach and the intimate visual style of the production, which was shot entirely on an iPhone. According to the review, the film’s surprising conclusion reinforces one of its central themes: the difficulty of escaping the far-reaching consequences of authoritarian power, even from thousands of miles away.
The Hollywood Times further acknowledges the film’s growing international profile, including its victory at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, where MORTICIAN received the prestigious Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence.
Following the UCLA screening, a live Zoom discussion was held with director Abdolreza Kahani and lead actress and musician Golazin Ardestani (Gola), whose performance as Jana was highlighted in the article. The discussion touched on artistic freedom, exile, and the experiences that inspired the film.
The Hollywood Times review positions MORTICIAN not only as a story about Iranian expatriates, but also as a broader reflection on belonging, resilience, and the enduring human consequences of political oppression.
MORTICIAN, the latest feature film by Iranian-Canadian filmmaker Abdolreza Kahani, has been officially selected for the 25th edition of the Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF), one of Eastern Europe’s leading film festivals, taking place in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The film will screen as part of “The Pitch Black Anthology,” a special program dedicated to black comedy, transgressive humour, and films that transform discomfort into art.
In its official announcement, the festival described the section as “a brief history of going too far,” bringing together films and filmmakers known for pushing the boundaries of satire, absurdity, psychological tension, and dark humour. TIFF stated that the selected works are films that “turned discomfort into art and the unspeakable into comedy,” adding that some of them “caused scandals at Cannes” while others “still shock.”
Within this curated program, MORTICIAN is presented alongside works and filmmakers associated with some of the most influential traditions of black comedy and surrealist cinema, including Luis Buñuel, the Coen Brothers, Pedro Almodóvar, Quentin Dupieux, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Anders Thomas Jensen, Jan Komasa, and Todd Rohal. The lineup also includes landmark titles such as The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and Delicatessen.
The festival’s official description of MORTICIAN reads:
“Shot entirely on an iPhone, Mortician (dir. Abdolreza Kahani, 2025) introduces us to an Iranian man living in Canada who prepares bodies for burial according to Islamic rites. When the company he works for shuts down and he faces the prospect of returning home, he comes into contact with a famous Iranian singer who plans to livestream her own suicide on social media as a protest against the Tehran regime. Their encounter, however, changes both their plans.”
TIFF’s presentation positions the film within a cinematic lineage of politically charged black comedy and psychologically unsettling contemporary cinema. The festival emphasized that the films in the program are “funnier than they have any right to be,” framing MORTICIAN as part of a body of work that explores moral discomfort, exile, absurdity, and social tension through dark humour and formal risk-taking.
Founded in 2002, the Transilvania International Film Festival is the first and largest feature film festival in Romania and has become one of the most internationally visible film events in Eastern Europe.
Mortician, the latest feature film by Iranian filmmaker Abdolreza Kahani, has won Best Feature Film at the 12th Persian Film Festival in Australia, marking the film’s fifth international award.
The film had its world premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, where it received the Sean Connery Prize for Excellence in Filmmaking. It also earned the festival’s monthly Audience Award for Courage. Continuing its festival run, Mortician went on to win both Best Film and the Audience Award at Seeyousound International Music Film Festival in Italy.
To date, Mortician has been screened at around 20 international festivals, with further screenings scheduled in the coming months.
A character-driven drama, the film follows an Iranian immigrant in Canada navigating moral conflict, exile, and proximity to death. Shot entirely on a mobile device with minimal resources, Mortician is a clear example of Kahani’s “Solo Cinema” (or “One-Man Cinema”) approach, a method in which the filmmaker takes on nearly all aspects of production independently.
With its continued international presence, Mortician is emerging as a distinctive work within the contemporary independent festival circuit.
The feature film Mortician, written and directed by Iranian filmmaker Abdolreza Kahani, has won two major awards at the SEEYOUSOUND International Music Film Festival 2026 in Turin, Italy.
The film received the Best Feature Film (LP Feature) award from the festival jury as well as the Audience Award, making it one of the most recognized titles of the festival’s twelfth edition. The announcement was made at the closing of the festival, which took place from March 3 to March 8, 2026, at Cinema Massimo in Turin.
SEEYOUSOUND
According to reports from Italian film publication Cinecittà News, Kahani’s film stood out in the feature competition and was praised by both the jury and the public attending the festival.
Mortician is a Canadian-produced drama that follows Mojtaba, an Iranian expatriate working in Canada who prepares the bodies of deceased Muslims for burial. His solitary life changes when he encounters a dissident Iranian singer living in exile, leading to an unexpected relationship shaped by displacement, politics, and survival.
The film stars Nima Sadr and Golazin Ardestani, and was written, directed, shot and edited by Kahani as part of his independent filmmaking practice.
Mortician premiered internationally in 2025 and has since appeared at several international festivals. The film previously won the Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence at the Edinburg International Film Festival.
The SEEYOUSOUND International Music Film Festival is dedicated to films exploring the relationship between music and cinema, and its program includes fiction and documentary features, shorts, and audiovisual works from around the world.
According to Deadline, MORTICIAN continues its international festival journey with its 13th global screening at the Manchester Film Festival, where it has been officially selected for its Manchester Premiere.
Following screenings at multiple international festivals, the film’s presence at Manchester marks another step in its global run. Additional festival selections are forthcoming and will be announced in due course.
MORTICIAN, written and directed by Abdolreza Kahani, is a stark political black comedy that confronts the moral erosion and institutional violence embedded within the Islamic Republic. Through a restrained and intimate cinematic language, the film examines complicity, exile, and the enduring reach of state power beyond borders.
Like Kahani’s recent works, the film is created in the spirit of his distinctive “One-Man Cinema” approach — a radically independent method in which the filmmaker assumes near-total creative control across the production process, resulting in a raw, immediate, and singular cinematic voice.
Abdolreza Kahani’s feature film MORTICIAN has been officially selected for the Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2026, where it will have its U.S. Premiere.
Now in its 41st edition, SBIFF is regarded as one of the most significant international film festivals in the United States, recognized for its strong focus on independent and world cinema. The festival is also known as a major meeting point between international filmmakers and the American film industry, taking place annually in Santa Barbara, California.
The 2026 edition of SBIFF brings together an extensive lineup of international premieres alongside a high-profile roster of special guests and honorees, including acclaimed figures such as Sean Penn and Leonardo DiCaprio, among many others from across the global film community.
MORTICIAN, directed by Kahani, continues its international festival journey following previous screenings, and its presentation at SBIFF marks an important step in the film’s North American exposure.
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival runs from February 4 to February 14, 2026.
The feature film MORTICIAN (Canada, 2025), directed by Abdolreza Kahani, has been officially selected for the Contemporary World Cinema section of the Bengaluru International Film Festival.
The Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFES) is one of the major international film festivals in India and Asia, focusing on contemporary world cinema and independent auteur-driven films. The festival is officially accredited by the FIAPF, placing it among internationally recognized and regulated film festivals.
The Contemporary World Cinema section is a competitive category dedicated to films that engage with current social, political, and human concerns through distinct cinematic voices. Films selected in this section are evaluated by the festival’s international jury.
MORTICIAN will be screened as part of the festival’s official program, alongside a curated selection of international works.
The 17th edition of the Bengaluru International Film Festival will take place from January 29 to February 6, 2026, in Bengaluru, India.
Mortician, written and directed by Abdolreza Kahani, will be screened at the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, DC, as part of the museum’s film program.
The screening will take place on February 6, 2026, at 7:00 PM at the Meyer Auditorium.
Blending dark humor with slow-burn drama, Mortician follows Mojtaba, an Iranian mortician living in exile in Canada. His job is to wash and prepare bodies according to Islamic tradition, a profession that places him in constant proximity to death, ritual, and faith. His quiet, isolated life is disrupted when he encounters an exiled Iranian pop singer in hiding, leading him into a moral and ideological confrontation that challenges his beliefs and sense of responsibility.
The film is made in the director’s distinctive One-Man Cinema approach, in which writing, directing, shooting, sound recording, and much of the production process are carried out by a single filmmaker. This method results in an intimate, stripped-down cinematic language that emphasizes presence, observation, and psychological tension over spectacle.
Through its minimalist style and deeply personal perspective, Mortician explores themes of exile, power, religious authority, and the lingering reach of the Islamic Republic beyond Iran’s borders.
The 5th edition of the ARK GATE International Film Festival (AGIFF) is approaching. Dedicated to supporting independent cinema and discovering fresh, creative voices, this year’s festival will once again showcase outstanding works from around the world.
The list of officially selected films has now been announced. These films represent a wide range of cultures, artistic courage, and deeply human stories — reaffirming cinema as a universal language of emotion and thought.
For the latest updates, screening schedules, and special events, please visit the official ARK GATE International Film Festival website.
Following its acclaimed world premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, where it received the Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence, and subsequent screenings at the Haifa and São Paulo International Film Festivals, Mortician continues its global journey with its Australian premiere at the 33rd Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF 2025).
Written and directed by Abdolreza Kahani, Mortician has been praised by international critics for its raw realism, bold political subtext, and innovative “single-person cinema” approach. The film’s selection at BIFF marks its fourth international screening, reinforcing its position as one of the year’s most distinctive independent features.
Mortician follows Mojtaba, an Iranian expatriate in Canada who washes the dead according to Islamic rites for fellow immigrants. When his workplace faces closure, his life intersects with Jana, an exiled pop star plotting a social-media protest—an encounter that forces both characters to confront dignity, loss, and exile in a fractured world.
