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 Iranian-Canadian drama Mortician, directed by Abdolreza Kahani, has been officially selected for the Perspective section of the 49th São Paulo International Film Festival. The selection places the film in one of Latin America’s most important showcases, alongside acclaimed titles from major festivals including Cannes and Venice.
This marks the third international stop for Mortician. Its world premiere was held at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, where it won the Sean Connery Prize for Excellence in Filmmaking. The film is also set to compete in the International Competition at the Haifa Film Festival before arriving in São Paulo.
Kahani created Mortician in the spirit of “one-man cinema,” a stripped-down practice in which he assumes nearly all key creative and technical roles — directing, writing, shooting, editing. As Variety noted, it is “a one-man band of director, producer, writer, editor, and cinematographer,” yet the result remains precise and deliberate. Screen Daily described the film as “sensitive, quiet, and persistent,” a drama where political urgency resonates beneath a minimalist surface.
Film Synopsis:
The story follows Mojtaba, an Iranian immigrant in Canada working for a company that prepares Iranian corpses for Islamic burial. When the operation faces closure, Mojtaba’s fragile livelihood is threatened. At the same time, Jana, an exiled Iranian singer hiding from authorities while planning an online protest, approaches him with an unusual request. Their encounter unfolds into a subtle, tension-filled relationship that explores exile, dignity, and survival.
Abdolreza Kahani’s latest feature “Mortician” has been officially selected for the Golden Anchor Competition at the 41st Haifa International Film Festival.
The film had its world premiere at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in August 2025, where it was awarded the Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence, a recognition voted for by audiences. Shot entirely on an iPhone in what Kahani describes as a form of single-person cinema, Mortician continues to challenge traditional filmmaking structures with its stripped-down, intimate approach.
Set in the wintry landscapes of Canada, the story follows the encounter between an Iranian mortician and a dissident singer, forcing both to confront questions of faith, protest, and the fragile burden of exile.
With its bold minimalism and uncompromising tone, Mortician is poised to make a strong impact at Haifa as it continues its international festival journey.
“Mortician”, the latest film by Abdolreza Kahani, premiered at the 2025 Edinburgh International Film Festival and won the Sean Connery Prize for Feature Filmmaking Excellence. This award, determined by audience votes, also includes £50,000 to support the director’s next project. The prize was presented to Kahani at the closing ceremony by Jason Connery on behalf of the Connery Foundation.
“Mortician” is a Canadian film in Persian that takes place in Canada.
The story follows Mojtaba, an Iranian mortician living in Canada, who, upon learning that his workplace is closing, encounters Jana, a singer in exile. She plans to undertake a shocking act on social media to draw attention to the repression of dissenters. Their meeting unfolds a compact, human story that oscillates between the sorrow of exile and the hope for life.
Kahani shot the film in a minimalist style, reportedly entirely with an iPhone, without the use of professional equipment. This choice complements the film’s intimate, two-person narrative, giving it a direct and unmediated quality.
International critics responded positively:
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Screen Daily described the film as a “sensitive, quiet, and persistent drama” that beautifully hides its political anger behind a minimalist and cold visual aesthetic.
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Variety – Guy Lodge: “The film feels more like an intimate two-hander, a relationship that begins with cold collaboration and transforms into human coexistence… Although shot on an iPhone, it is never careless, carefully juxtaposing the cold environment with the warmth of human interaction.”
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Screen Daily – Jonathan Romney: “A calm and precise drama” that effectively depicts the darkest aspects of exile, especially when Jana’s character faces real threats and surveillance.
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Film is a Fine Affair – Vasilis Kroustalis: “A quiet bomb of moral responsibility,” a film that places the heavy burden of discrimination and ethical duty on its characters within a cold environment, creating suspense.
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Live for Film – Joe Gordon: “A quiet yet powerful work,” portraying two exiled characters in the cold Canadian setting, forming a human relationship whose impact resonates in the silence of cinema.
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Deadline – Callum McLennan: “Though filmed in Canada on an iPhone, the movie is full of feeling and of the heavy consequences of trying to live in one’s own way.” He went on to note Kahani’s words: “Once, I was banned from making films in my country. So I had to do something. This film is not a protest on paper. It is something real. Physical. A way to breathe again.”
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The Herald – Barry Didcock: “Audacious, gripping, affecting and disturbing.”
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The Movie Isle – Marie O’Sullivan: “Writer, director, and all-rounder Abdolreza Kahani uses nothing fancy to make his film. Employing a minimalist approach, the visuals are simple (but not simplistic) and the performances natural and full of humanity.”
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The Skinny – Jamie Dunn: The film “Mortician” is described as a dramatic and political work with a subtle humorous tone. Dunn regards it as a low-budget film, yet rich in visual innovation.
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Eye For Film – Amber Wilkinson: “Writer, director, and all-rounder Abdolreza Kahani uses nothing fancy to make his film. Employing a minimalist approach, the visuals are simple (but not simplistic) and the performances natural and full of humanity.”
After receiving the award, Abdolreza Kahani said:
“I made this film without money, through hard work. My body still aches. This is single-person cinema. It stands against large-scale financial support for particular films. Please correct these funding imbalances. I thank Paul Reed, who discovered this cinema. This film speaks of warning and a great danger. I hope world leaders can hear it. Now the Sean Connery statue is in my hands. I must make better films. I thank Visit Films, the distributor.”
“Mortician” was produced by Ark Gate Films (owned by Abdolreza Kahani and Shima Monfared), as well as NivaArt and Visit Films.
Its successful screening at Edinburgh and winning the top prize set a bright outlook for the film’s continued presence in global festivals and markets—a path that, supported by critical acclaim and its international distributor, could lead to wider releases.
