Iranian Mini Film Festival

The Barrie Persian Association is proud to present the Iranian Mini Film Festival on September 19 and 20, 2026, at Georgian Theatre. This program is supported by the City of Barrie Arts and Culture Grant.

The festival will feature one feature-length film and a collection of three short films, all exploring important social issues and challenges within contemporary Iranian society.

The feature film, The Lonely Woman, will be screened at 3:00 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. This will be the film's first public screening anywhere in the world. The film has not been publicly screened in Iran because its producer was prohibited from presenting it there.

Before the Saturday screening of The Lonely Woman, the festival will begin with a bilingual interview and discussion with the producer. The conversation will be presented in both Farsi and English to ensure that the program is accessible and meaningful to the entire audience.

The screening will also include a special tribute to Reza Samipour, who was killed by the Islamic Republic regime in Iran in January 2026. Reza Samipour played an acting role in The Lonely Woman and also contributed to the production as an assistant director and one of the film's planners. In addition, he directed one of the short films being presented as part of the festival. His image, artistic work, and memory will be honoured on screen before the screening begins.

Following the feature film, there will be a one-hour break from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. At 6:00 p.m., the festival will present a combined screening of three short films: The Last Five Minutes, Grey City, and I Want to Study. Together, these three films form a full screening program and examine different social realities, struggles, and human experiences within Iranian society.

The same screening schedule will be repeated on Sunday to provide another opportunity for audience members who are unable to attend on Saturday. The Lonely Woman will screen again at 3:00 p.m., followed by the three-short-film program at 6:00 p.m.

Through cinema, conversation, and remembrance, the Iranian Mini Film Festival aims to create awareness of the realities faced by people in Iran, amplify the voices of Iranian filmmakers and artists, honour those who have lost their lives, and encourage meaningful cultural dialogue within the wider Barrie community.