A Good Day Will Come - Zargara
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A Good Day Will Come

A film by Amir Zargara
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Project Title:
A Good Day Will Come
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Fiction | Short Film | 26 min
Canada, Turkey, Iran | Farsi with English subtitles
Color | 2.35:1 | DCP | 5.1, Stereo
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Synopsis:
Arash is a professional wrestler with dreams of representing his country and winning gold medals. The country is in turmoil and its people are suffering. Arash must decide between using his platform to stand up to tyranny, or put his head down and remain silent.
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Links:
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Trailer:
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Poster:
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Stills:
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Cast & Crew:
Cast:
Sia Alipour ... Arash
Mehdi Bajestani ... Coach
Yashar Mirian ... Assistant Coach
Metin Ozturk ... Arash's teammate
Shoale Shahbazi ... Mom
Moeid Zalaghi ... Amin

Crew:
Writer, Director, Producer: Amir Zargara
Producer: Iman Tahsin
Executive Producers: Tina Gharavi, Scott Aharoni, Shiva Negar, Asa Kazerani, Rouzbeh Heydari, Sia Alipour, Nickie Shobeiry, Sholeh Alemi Fabbri, Fitch Jean, Weggon Allen
Director of Photography: Jelan Maxwell
Editor: Iman Tahsin
Composer: KB
Sound Editor + Sound Mixer: Amir Mohabbati
Art Direction: Eda Aslan
Wardrobe: Ferhat Çetin
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Director Statement

"A Good Day Will Come" was inspired by the tragic story of Navid Afkari, an Iranian wrestler unjustly executed in 2020 during a time of widespread unrest and human rights abuses in Iran. Born just a few months apart, Navid and I led very different lives after I moved to Canada, where I gained the freedom to express myself—a stark contrast to the oppressive environment back home, where people risk imprisonment for challenging the status quo.

I recognize my privilege living in a free society and feel a deep responsibility to use my voice for those who can’t. I see this project as my duty, akin to the mandatory military service in Iran; it’s my way of serving my country from afar. Initially a direct narrative about Navid, the film evolved to reflect the broader societal challenges faced by Iranians, encapsulating their struggles and resilience.

The resurgence of protests following Mahsa Amini's death reaffirms the global yearning for justice and dignity—themes at the heart of our film. Having lived half of my life in each country, I am compelled to bridge these worlds and amplify these suppressed voices.

Through this film, I aim to shed light on the endurance and spirit of the Iranian people, fostering empathy and understanding across global audiences. "A Good Day Will Come" strives to distinguish between the Iranian government and its people, advocating for human rights and unity through storytelling.

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Director’s Biography

Amir Zargara is an Iranian-Canadian (BIPOC) writer/director, whose unique perspective is shaped by the cultural mosaic of Iran and Canada. His journey, characterized by the resilience of an immigrant and the challenges of living with a stutter, deeply influences his approach to filmmaking.

Amir began his filmmaking journey with BECOME THE WOUNDED in 2021. Since then, he has directed several shorts, that he hopes to build his feature film career on. His films delve into the moral complexities faced by individuals, focusing on the gray areas of human character and advocating for empathy over judgment.

Filmography
Become the Wounded ... Short Film ... 2022
A Good Day Will Come ... Short Film ... 2024
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Festivals & Awards
60+ selections and 40+ Awards/Nominations/Mentions
-Ranked top 1% on Coverfly **Top 10 Best Drama Short Screenplay on Coverfly’s Redlist
-Vancouver Short Film Festival 2024 **Best Canadian Short Film, **Best Director Nominee presented by Directors Guild of Canada, **Best Cinematography Award, **Best Production Design Award
-Young Director Award (YDA) 2024 **Silver Screen Award
-Reykjavík International Film Festival 2024 **The Golden Egg Award
-Chelsea Film Festival 2024 **Best International Short Film
-Sundar Prize Film Festival 2024 **Best Short Film
-Woods Hole Film Festival 2024 **Best Short Screenplay
-Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival 2024 **Best Narrative Short Film
-Edmonton Short Film Festival 2024 **Best International Short Film
-Reelworld Film Festival 2024 **Outstanding Short Film, **Outstanding Short Film Producer
-Kaaffilm International Short Film Festival 2024 **WORLD GRAND PRIX - Human Rights Section presented by Amnesty Paraguay (Amnistía Internacional Paraguay)
-Amnesty international Au Cinema pour les Droits humains 2025
-Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival 2024 **Roving Eye section
-SCAD Savannah Film Festival 2023
-Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival 2024 **Best Narrative Short Film Nominee
-Zurich Film Festival 2024 **ZFF Academy Bits & Pieces
-Woods Hole Film Festival 2024 **Best Short Screenplay
-USA Film Festival 2024 **Finalist
-Nantucket Film Festival Tony Cox Short Screenplay Competition 2024 **Finalist
-San Francisco Indie Fest Screenplay Competition 2024 **Finalist
-Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF) Screenplay Competition 2024 **Finalist
-HollyShorts Screenwriting Competition 2023 **Semi-Finalist
-Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards 2023 **Semi-Finalist
-Omaha Film Festival Screenplay Competition 2024 **Semi-Finalist
-Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards 2024 **Semi-Finalist
-Dallas International Film Festival's Screenwriting Competition 2024 **Semi-Finalist
-Creative World Awards 2024 **Semi-Finalist
-Stage 32 Short film Contest 2024 **Quarter-Finalist
-Nashville Film Festival Screenwriting Competition 2023 **Quarter-Finalist
-ScreenCraft Short Film Screenplay Competition 2023 **Quarter-Finalist
-Vail Film Festival Screenplay Competition 2023 **Quarter-Finalist
-ScreenCraft Film Fund 2023 **Quarter-Finalist
-New York International Screenplay Awards 2024 **Quarter-Finalist
-Big Apple film Festival Screenplay Competition 2023 **Honorable Mention
-9/10 in the Raindance Script Competition 2023
-Cinema on the Bayou Film Festival 2024
-Fargo Film Festival 2024
-Sarasota Film Festival 2024
-West Chester Film Festival 2024 **Best Short Film Nominee
-Maryland International Film Festival 2024
-Arizona International Film Festival 2024
-Blue Mountain Film Festival 2024
-Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF) 2024
-Crested Butte Film Festival 2024
-Cerdanya Film Festival 2024
-Breckenridge Film Festival 2024
-Footcandle Film Festival 2024 **Best Narrative Short Film Nominee
-Ottawa Canadian Film Festival 2024
-Torino Underground Cinefest 2024
-Durham Region International Film Festival 2024
-Bordeaux Shorts Biennale 2024 **Honorable Mention
-Cindependent Film Festival 2024 **Honorable Mention
-Make News, Make Noise: Screening Room 2024 (Los Angeles, USA)
-Cuenca International Film Festival (FICC) 2024
-Festival Internacional de cine Luz del Desierto 2024
-Mind the Indie 2024
-International Film Festival The Hague 2024
-Asian World Film Festival 2024
-Nostalgia Film Festival 2024 **Semi-Finalist
-Muslim International Film Festival 2024

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Thanks:
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
We would like to acknowledge funding support from the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.
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Production:
Zargara Productions
Haurvatat Films
Lenz Films
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Contact:
Email | Hello@Zargara.com
Phone | +1-613-857-1027