A celebration of cinema and the human experience
CloseUp
International Film Festival
BEST NATIONAL SHORT FILM 2025: HATCH
The award for Best Film of the National Competition goes to “Hatch”, directed by Alireza Kazemipour and Panta Mosleh.
A huge congratulations to the filmmakers for this outstanding achievement!
“ Hatch” is a Canadian short drama film, written and directed by Alireza Kazemipour and Panta Mosleh, released in 2024. The film stars Ali Eldurssi as Naaji, a young Afghan boy travelling with his mother Robaba in the empty water tank of a truck in an attempt to escape Afghanistan.
BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM 2025: SARA
The award for Best Film of the International Competition goes to “Sara” by Ariana Andrade, from Peru.
“ Sara” is a short drama film from Peru, written and directed by Ariana Andrade, released in 2024. The film isabout a solitary and inquisitive 9-year-old girl who uncovers that her father, a truck driver journeying across the country transporting fruit, is carrying more than just goods.
Itinerary
- A small reception with tea, finger food, and some snack
- Red carpet zone photography
- Welcoming Speeches
- A dance performance
- A musical instrumental performance
- Screening a short film
- Hatch/Alireza Kazemipour, Panta Mosleh/ 11 min/ fiction/ Canada
- Shakespeare For All Ages/Hannes Rall/ 3 min/ animation/ Germany
- Unfamily/Siddharth Sharma, Paul Persic/ 18 min/ fiction/Canada
Go Back To The Sky/ Nina Zarabi/ 15 min/ Fiction/ Canada
Sheepskin/Ethan Wingrove / 5 min/ Fiction/ Canada
- Sara/ Ariana Andrade Castro/ 18 min/ Peru
- Shaping Our Future/ Steve Sxwithultxw/ 23 min/ Indigenous Documentary/ Canada
- Phoenix/ Mohsen Nabavi/ 13 min/ Fiction/ Iran
- Bathtub, Birds, and Chopin/ Joe Chang/ 13 min/ Fiction/ Canada
- Sisters/ Justine Guichen/ 14 min/ Fiction/ France
- Triage/ David Rendal/ 14 min/ Fiction/ Canada
- Meditations Between Us/ Ashleigh Vaillancourt/ 6 min/ Animation/ Canada
- Be A Fake Tortoise/ Xiu Wen Wang/ 17 min/ Student, Experimental/ China
Join us for a special screening of two poetic, minimalistic movies of Panah Rezaee, a renowned Iranian filmmaker, followed by a Q&A session with the filmmaker.
1. A Light In The Fog … 76min
2. Eyes and Arms … 54min
- Hatch/Alireza Kazemipour, Panta Mosleh/ 11 min/ fiction/ Canada
- Shakespeare For All Ages/Hannes Rall/ 3 min/ animation/ Germany
- Unfamily/Siddharth Sharma, Paul Persic/ 18 min/ fiction/Canada
Go Back To The Sky/ Nina Zarabi/ 15 min/ Fiction/ Canada
Sheepskin/Ethan Wingrove / 5 min/ Fiction/ Canada
- Sara/ Ariana Andrade Castro/ 18 min/ Peru
- Shaping Our Future/ Steve Sxwithultxw/ 23 min/ Indigenous Documentary/ Canada
- Phoenix/ Mohsen Nabavi/ 13 min/ Fiction/ Iran
- Bathtub, Birds, and Chopin/ Joe Chang/ 13 min/ Fiction/ Canada
- Sisters/ Justine Guichen/ 14 min/ Fiction/ France
- Triage/ David Rendal/ 14 min/ Fiction/ Canada
- Meditations Between Us/ Ashleigh Vaillancourt/ 6 min/ Animation/ Canada
- Be A Fake Tortoise/ Xiu Wen Wang/ 17 min/ Student, Experimental/ China
- Presenting awards to winners in different categories
- Appreciation of an Artist
- A dance performance
- A musical instrumental performance
- Closing Speeches
- Screening the best short film of the festival
Competition Categories
International
National
Indigenous
Student
Competition Genres
Fiction
Documentary
Animation
Experimental
Themes
Family
Human Rights
Comedy
Our Mission
We aim to support filmmakers, including young filmmakers, independent filmmakers, indigenous filmmakers, and Iranian filmmakers. The festival also aims to provide a close-up view of recent, creative, quality films to the viewers in BC, Metro Vancouver, Canada and across the world.
Our Programs
Close-Up International Film Festival screens short experimental, documentary, fiction and animated films from Canada and around the world. Films made by international, Canadian, indigenous, and student filmmakers.
Our Festival
This edition of the festival is scheduled on September 6-7, 2025, with a focus on family, human rights, and woman-life-freedom motto.
Our Prizes
Prizes of $4000 are awarded to best films picked by the jury. Filmmakers will be competing in four categories of International, Canadian, Indigenous, and Student short films.
Our Partners
