The Chawok animation, directed by Hazhir As’adi and produced by Sina Ayoubi, Hazhir As’adi and Afsaneh Ghorbani, has won the Best Student Animation award at the 8th AniMA Film International Animation Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan; and will go on to screen at the 32nd Adana Festival (Turkey), the 21st Wox Festival (Canada) and the 15th Kurdish Berlin Festival (Germany).
What is the Chawok animation?
According to IBland’s news, the Chawok animation tells the story of a middle‑aged projectionist who, after years living among deformed‑faced city dwellers, finds his teenage love once again. The film was written and directed by Hazhir As’adi, with production by Sina Ayoubi, Hazhir As’adi and Afsaneh Ghorbani. It was developed at the Center for the Development of Documentary, Experimental and Animated Cinema. Key crew includes art director Afsaneh Ghorbani, animators and character/background designer Elahe Rafiei, composer Faraz Abdollahi and others.
Award & festival journey
Award at AniMA Film Baku
At the 8th AimMA Film festival in Baku, Azerbaijan 3‑7 September 2025, the Chawok animation clinched the Best Student Animation prize in the International section. The festival received 317 submissions from 62 countries; a selection committee chose 39 films from 20 countries (29 international + 10 local) for competition. AimMA Film is an international animation‑specialist event recognized by BAFTA.
Global festival entries
Following its success in Baku, the Chawok animation has been selected for three major international festivals:
- 32nd Adana Golden Boll Film Festival (Turkey), 22‑28 September 2025
- 21st Wox Festival (Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada), 18‑20 September 2025
- 15th Kurdish Berlin Film Festival (Germany), 25 September‑1 October 2025
Earlier recognitions & domestic awards
The Chawok animation previously won a “Honourable Mention” in the Animation International section at the 27th Lenola Festival in Italy and gained entry to the 31st Palm Springs ShortFest in the U.S. Domestically, it received the Best Animation Award at the 71st Cinema Javan Sahand Festival and at the 14th Saye Festival.
Why this matters
The multiple laurels achieved by the Chawok animation underscore the growing strength of Iranian animated cinema on the global stage. By earning a student‑animation prize at a BAFTA‑affiliated festival and securing screenings across three continents, the film amplifies both the artistry of its creators and the potential of Iran’s animation industry.
Source: Mehrnews