Fiction

Night of Passage

A film by Reza Rasouli
Country: Austria
Year: 2025
Length: 19'59"

Synopsis
Close to the Austrian border, three friends from Tehran are dropped off by their smuggler. They must spend the night in the Slovakian forest, until the next truck picks them up. Despite the difficult journey, the prospect of a new future keeps them moving forward. During the night, the group faces a dilemma that leads them to a point of no return.

Festivals
1. Filmfestival Max Ophüls Award (Germany, January 2025) - Audience Award
2. Trieste Film Festival (Italy, January 2025) - Main Award
3. Diagonale - Festival des Österreichischen Films (Austria, March 2025) - Best Short Film
4. Sehsüchte International Student Film Festival (Germany, April 2025) - Best Short Film
5. Brussels Short Film Festival (Belgium, April 2025)

Cast
Arian: Arshia Pakdel
Leila: Moné Sharifi
Meysam: Ali Tavakol

Crew
Director: Reza Rasouli
Screenplay: Reza Rasouli
Producer: Ivet Castelo & Maximilian Demets
Cinematographer: Konstantin Johann
Sound recording: Lidija-Rukiye Kumpas, Fabian Rausch
Sound design: Ramin Abusedgh
Editor: Sarah Kučera
Production design: Leo Pichler
MUA: Maryna Tolmachova
Color correction: Jakob Jabornig
Title design: Bastan

Supported by BMKÖS, MA7, VAM, FAMA, Filmakademie Wien