Iranian “Our Uniform” shortlisted in Animated Short Film category of 96th Academy Awards

According to The Iran Project,The short flick is among the final 15 animations, selected from among the 93 works qualified in the category, Mehr reported.

In “Our Uniform,” an Iranian girl recalls school-age memories through the wrinkles and fabrics of her old uniform, quite literally. Rather than using paper, canvas, or a digital medium, Moghaddam painted directly on the cloth used for making school uniforms to tell the story of a character who dreams of a better future.

Moghaddam’s self-produced seven-minute animation won the Grand Jury prize at Spain’s Animayo Festival and the Best Short Animation award at France’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival and as a result qualified for the 2024 Oscars.

The short film stands out for its ability to combine different techniques and media, in what is known as Mixed Media, creating a visually captivating experience through a unique and creative approach.

The 2022 production explores the footprints of childhood uniforms as they are more than just a piece of clothing and can affect the way people present themselves in public.

Moghaddam is an animator and illustrator who has a strong passion for nature, culture, and the reality she lives in. In her films, she tries to find a voice for beings who usually don't have a voice.

Her student short animation “On the Cover” (2018) gained global attention. Later, she continued creating films and visuals for ecological events. In addition, she has authored the first ecological comic book series for children, published in Iran, titled “The Little Forester”.

While the Iranian short animation made its way to the shortlist of its category, another work from Iran did not make it.

“The Night Guardian” by Reza Mirkarimi, which was Iran’s submission to the 96th Academy Awards in the International Feature Film category, did not advance to the next round of voting.

The feature film was among the movies from 88 countries and regions submitted in the category. However, it is not present in the shortlist of 15 films.

Mirkarimi's film, which debuted at the Fajr Film Festival last year, garnered nine award nominations and ultimately won the best director category.

Co-written by Mirkarimi and Mohammad Davoud, “The Night Guardian” follows the story of an innocent village boy whose carefree life is disrupted by his trust in a construction engineer.

After leaving his village due to drought, Rasoul is relieved to find employment as a night guardian at a construction site. However, he soon discovers that something sinister is happening at the seemingly deserted location. As he becomes ensnared in the peculiar circumstances surrounding him, Rasoul finds himself trapped and in danger.

Since 1994, Iran has been a regular participant in the Oscars film category, with two wins under its belt for “A Separation” and “The Salesman,” both directed by Asghar Farhadi. Two of Mirkarimi's films have previously been selected to represent the country: “So Close, So Far” in 2005 and “Today” in 2014.

The shortlisted films in the category for the 96th Oscars are from Armenia, Bhutan, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, Ukraine, and the UK.

Nominations voting for the 96th Academy Awards will begin January 11, 2024, and last for five days. Final nominees will be announced on January 23, 2024. The 96th Oscars will be held on March 10, 2024.

Reporter : Editorial of The Iran Project