Exam / Emtehan

A film by

Iran | 15' | 09/2019 | fiction

A teenage girl gets involved in the process of delivering a pack of cocaine to its client, and gets stuck in a weird cycle of occurrences.

“Hadad’s story is simple, self-contained, and near-perfect in its execution.”
Square Eyes - TIFF19-Official_Selection-blk
Square Eyes - AFI Fest - Award Laurel 2019
Square Eyes - Sundance2020
“Hadad’s story is simple, self-contained, and near-perfect in its execution.”
Square Eyes - TIFF19-Official_Selection-blk
Square Eyes - AFI Fest - Award Laurel 2019
Square Eyes - Sundance2020

Sonia K Hadad

Biography

Sonia K. Hadad is an Iranian writer and director. She studied Film and Media Arts (M.F.A) at Emerson College in Boston. She was born in 1989, in Tehran, and was primarily educated in her native country. She holds diplomas in Physics/ Mathematics and graphic design. In 2005 Sonia started her professional theatre acting career and has played in theatres, public performances, telefilms, and TV shows. In 2009 she completed her B.A in dramatic literature from Azad University of Art and Architecture. While pursuing her bachelor’s degree she participated in different professional Filmmaking, Acting, Installation, and editing workshops.
Writing short stories for magazines and acting led her to her main interests: Film and Installation Art. Sonia moved to the U.S. in 2013 to continue her education, and she began making short films. In her most recent works, Sonia makes an effort to explore people’s inner lives, women’s social and personal issues, shame, and struggles with their deepest fears through different art forms and media.

Filmography

  • Exam – 2019 – short film
  • Personal – 2016 – student film
  • The Box – 2016 – student film
Square Eyes - Director - Sonia Hadad - Square Eyes

Crew

Director: Sonia K. Hadad
Screenplay: Sonia K. Hadad, Farnoosh Samadi
Producer: Three Gardens: Pouria Heidary Oureh
Cinematographer: Alireza Barazandeh
Sound Recording: Mohammadreza Hosseini
Sound Design: Ramin Abousedgh
Editor: Ehsan Vaseghi
Costume & Set Designer: Parisa Farahani
Make-Up Artist: Amir Torabi
Cast: Sadaf Asgari, Hadis Miramini, Masih Kazemi, Elaheh Afshari

Festivals

  • Toronto International Film Festival, Canada (5 – 15 September, 2019)
    Short Cuts
  • Fantatic Fest Austin, United States (19 – 26 September, 2019)
    Official Selection
  • El Gouna Film Festival, Egypt (19 – 27 September, 2019)
    Short Film Competition Won: Gold Star for Best Short Film
  • Uppsala International Short Film Festival, Sweden (21 – 27 October, 2019)
    International Competition
  • Leeds International Film Festival, United Kingdom (6 – 21 November, 2019)
    Competition
  • South Western International Film Festival, Canada (7 – 10 November, 2019)
    Competition
  • ZINEBI – International Festival of Documentary and Short Film of Bilbao, Spain (8 – 15 November, 2019)
    International Competition Won: Mikeldi For Best Short Fiction Film
  • Tehran International Short Film Festival, Iran (10 – 15 November, 2019)
    National Competition Won: Best Script Award
  • AFI Fest, United States (14 – 21 November, 2019)
    Competition Won: Grand Jury Award – Live Action Short
  • GIFF Festival of New Cinema, Philipines (30 November – 1 December, 2020)
    Official Selection
  • Whistler Film Festival, Canada (4 – 8 December, 2019)
    International ShortWork Competition Won: EDA Award for Best Female-Directed Short Film
  • Afrodite Shorts, Italy (5 December, 2019)
    Best International Short Won: Best International Short Film
  • London Short Film Festival, United Kingdom (10 – 19 January, 2020)
    International Competition
  • Minimalen Short Film Festival, Norway (21 – 26 January, 2020)
    International Competition
  • Prague Short Film Festival, Czech Republic (22 – 26 January, 2019)
    International Competition
  • Sundance Film Festival, United States (23 January – 2 February, 2020)
    Short Film Competition Won: Special Jury Award for Acting
  • Farjr Festival, Iran (1 – 11 February, 2020)
    Competition
  • Final Girls Berlin Film Festival, Germany (6 – 9 February, 2020)
    Official Selection
  • Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival, United Kingdom (20 February – 3 March, 2020)
    Short Film Competition
  • Omaha Film Festival, United States (3 – 8 March, 2020)
    Official Competition
  • Tampere Film Festival, Finland (4 – 8 March, 2020)
    International Competition
  • Portland International Film Festival, United States (6 – 15 March, 2020)
    Official Selection
  • Filmfest Sundsvall, Sweden (11 – 15 March, 2020)
    International Short Film Competition
  • Festival International de Films de Femmes, France (13 – 22 March, 2020)
    International Short Film Competition Won: UPEC Jury Prize For The Best Short Film
  • Mecal Pro, Barcelona International Short and Animation Festival, Spain (19 March – 5 April, 2020)
    International Competition
  • Women’s Film Festival Brattleboro, United States (20 – 29 March, 2020)
    Official Selection
  • Underexposed Film Festival yc, United States (25 – 28 March, 2020)
    Official Selection
  • Cleveland International Film Festival, United States (25 March – 5 April, 2020)
    Short Film Competition
  • Annapolis Film Festival, United States (26 – 29 March, 2020)
    Short Film Competition
  • Firenze FilmCorti Festival, Italy (5 – 9 May, 2020)
    Competition Won: Best Script Award
  • Flying Broom International Women’s Film Festival, Turkey (7 – 14 May, 2020)
    Official Selection
  • Norwegian Short Film Festival, Norway (10 – 14 June, 2020)
    International Competition Won: Golden Chair for Best International Short Film
  • Palm Springs International ShortFest, United States (16 – 22 June, 2020)
    International Competition
  • SouthSide Film Festival, United States (16 – 20 June, 2020)
    Competition
  • PyeongChang Int’l Peace Film Festival, South-Korea (18 – 23 June, 2020)
    Official Selection
  • ShorTS International Film Festival, Italy (4 – 12 July, 2020)
    Maremetraggio Section Special Mention
  • Method Film Festival, United States (14 – 20 August, 2020)
    Official Selection
  • Social World Film Festival, Italy (25 July – 2 August, 2020)
    Official Selection Won: Best Short Film
  • Desertscape International Film Festival, United States (29 July – 1 August, 2020)
    Official Selection
  • Periferia dell’Impero Film Festival, Italy (31 July – 1 August, 2020)
    Competition
  • MoliseCinema Film Festival, Italy (4 – 9 August, 2020)
    International Competition
  • International Film Festival of South Asia – Toronto, Canada (6 – 16 August, 2020)
    Official Selection
  • Lucania Film Festival, Italy ( 7 – 9 August, 2020)
    Official Selection
  • Florida Film Festival, United States (7 – 20 August, 2020)
    Official Selection
  • DokuFest International Documentary and Short Film Festival, Kosovo (7 – 15 August, 2020)
    International Short Film Competition
  • Filmfest Weiterstadt, Germany (12 – 17 August, 2020)
    Official Selection
  • Still Voices Short Film festival, Ireland (13 – 16 August, 2020)
    Short Film Competition
  • Salute Your Shorts, United States (21 – 29 August, 2020)
    Official Selection Special Mention
  • Molodist Kyiv International Film Festival, Ukraine (22 – 30 August, 2020)
    International Short Film Competition
  • OFF – Odense International Film Festival, Denmark (24 – 30 August, 2020)
    Competition
  • Kino Otok – Isola Cinema International Film Festival, Slovenia (26 – 30 August, 2020)
    Video on the Beach
  • Not Film Fest, Italy (27 – 30 August, 2020)
    Competition
  • Cisterna Film Festival, Italy (27 – 30 August, 2020)
    Competition
  • Festival International du Film de Nancy, France (28 August – 6 September, 2020)
    International Competition Won: Best International Short FIlm
  • Wiz-Art International Short Film Festival, Ukraine (7 – 13 September, 2020)
    Special program
  • Filmfest Dresden, Germany (8 – 13 September, 2020)
    International Competition
  • Out of Bounds Film Festival, Italy (9 – 12 September, 2020)
    CompetitionWon: Best Short Film
  • Loudoun Arts Film Festival, United States (10 – 19 September, 2020)
    Official Selection
  • Durban International Film Festival, South-Africa (10 – 20 September, 2020)
    Short film competition Won: Best Short Film
  • DC Shorts, United States (10 – 23 September, 2020)
    Competition
  • Corti in Cortile, Italy (11 – 13 September, 2020)
    Official Selection Won: Best Actress
  • Seoul international Extreme-Short Image & Film Festival, South Korea (15 – 20 September, 2020)
    International Competition Won: Audience Award
  • PRINDIE: Princeton Independent Film Festival, United States (18 – 20 September, 2020)
    Competition
  • Encounters Film Festival, United Kingdom (18 September – 11 October, 2020)
    Competition
  • Iranian Film Festival, United States (19 – 20 September, 2020)
    Competition
  • Tirana International Film Festival, Albania (19 – 25 September, 2020)
    • Live-Action Competition Won: Best Live-Action Award
  • Sehsüchte International Student Film Festival, Germany (23 – 27 September, 2020)
    Short Film Competition
  • Figari Film Fest, Italy (23 September – 2 October, 2020)
    Competition
  • Charlotte Film Festival, United States (23 – 27 September, 2020)
    Short Film Competition
  • Enfoque International Film Festival, Puerto Rico (24 – 27 September, 2020)
    Competition Mention Of Honor Of Best International Short Film
  • Saturnia Film Festival, Italy (25 – 26 September, 2020)
    Competition Won: Best International Short Film
  • Nashville Film Festival, United States (1 – 7 October, 2020)
    Narrative Shorts Competition
  • Sedicicorto Forlì International Film Festival, Italy (2 – 11 October, 2020)
    Iran Fest
  • Drunken Film Fest Oakland, United States (4 – 11 October, 2020)
    Competition
  • BRNO16 – International Festival of Short Film, Czech Republic (14 – 17 October, 2020)
    Competition Won: Student Jury Award
  • Montclair Film Festival, United States (16 – 25 October, 2020)
    Short Film Competition Won: Special Jury Prize for Narrative Excellence
  • Bolton Film Festival, United Kingdom (16 – 25 October, 2020)
    Competition Won: Best Women in Film
  • Kaohsiung Film Festival, Taiwan (16 October – 1 November, 2020)
    International competition
  • Denver Film Festival, United States (22 October – 8 November, 2020)
    Short Film Competition
  • Cortocircuito – Savigliano FIlm Festival, Italy (23 – 30 October, 2020)
    Official Selection Won: Jury Special Prize
  • Yes Film Festival, United States (23 – 25 October, 2020)
    Competition
  • San Diego Asian Film Festival, United States (23 – 31 October, 2020)
    Competition
  • Manhattan Shorts, United States (October, 2020)
  • Skepto International Film Festival, Italy (28 – 31 October, 2020)
    International Competition Special Mention
  • Gargano Film Festival, Italy (29 – 30 October, 2020)
    Competition Won: Best Short Film
  • Cinemaforum, Poland (4 – 8 November, 2020)
    Main Competition
  • Reggio Film Festival, Italy (4 – 8 November, 2020)
    Official Selection
  • cellu l’art Short Film Festival, Germany (6 – 8 November, 2020)
    International Competition
  • Tacoma Film Festival, United States (6 – 15 November, 2020)
    Official Selection
  • interfilm International Short Film Festival Berlin, Germany (10 – 15 November, 2020)
    International Competition
  • Drim Short Film Festival, Macedonia (13 – 15 November, 2020)
    International Competition Won: Grand Prix
  • Asperger Film Festival, Italy (14 November, 2020)
  • Loft Short Film Festival, United States (18 – 22 November, 2020)
    Official Selection
    Audience Award
  • Magma – mostra di cinema breve, Italy (20 – 21 November, 2020)
    Competition
  • Blue Danube Film Festival, Hungary (20 – 29 November, 2020)
    Official Selection
  • Uruguay International Film Festival, Uruguay (21 November – 5 December, 2020)
    Competition
  • Amarcort Film Festival’s, Italy (24 – 29 November, 2020)
    Main Section Won: Critics Award
  • ValdarnoCinema, Italy (26 – 28 November, 2020)
    Competition Won: Best Actress
  • Iranian Film Festival, Germany (27 – 29 November, 2020)
  • Tegenstroom International Short Film Festival, the Netherlands (November, 2020)
    Opstromers Competition
  • Ale Kino! International Young Audience Film Festival, Poland (29 November – 6 December, 2020)
    Short Film Competition
  • Capodarco L’Altro Festival, Italy (2020)
    Official Selection
  • Persian Film Festival, Australia (3 – 6 December, 2020)
    Official Selection Won: Best Short Film
  • New Directors/New Films, United States (9 – 20 December, 2020)
    Official Selection
  • MyART Film Festival, Italy (9 -12 December, 2020)
    Competition Won: Best Short Film
  • Beirut Shorts International Film Festival, Lebanon (18 – 20 January, 2021)
    Official Competition Won: Best Screenplay
  • Landshut Short Film Festival, Germany (17 – 22 March, 2021)
    International Competition
  • Vicoli Corti – Cinema di Periferia, Italy (24 – 28 March, 2021)
    Official Selection
  • Groundbreakers Film Festival, Thailand (15 – 16 May, 2021)
  • Braziers International Film Festival, United Kingdom (28 – 31 May, 2021)
    Official Selection
  • Balinale – Bali International Film Festival, Indonesia (May, 2021)
    Official Selection
  • International Oriental Film Festival of Geneva, Switzerland (21 – 27 June, 2021)
    Online Competition
  • Ouray International Film Festival, United States (25 – 27 June, 2021)
    Official Selection
  • Ennesimo Film Festival, Italy (1 – 4 July, 2021)
    Competition
  • Beirut International Women Film Festival, Lebanon (19 – 24 July, 2021)
    Competition
  • Festival Corti Da Sogni Antonio Ricci, Italy (Spring, 2021)
    Competition
  • Brussels Short Film Festival, Belgium (26 August – 4 September, 2021)
    International Competition
  • Nostalgia Film Festival, Italy (21 – 23 September, 2021)
    Official Selection
  • BRNO16 – International Festival of Short Film, Czech Republic (13 – 16 October, 2021)
    Festival Echoes

Password




Press materials

EPK: Click here

Stills, poster & director’s photo: Click here

Dialogue list English: Click here

Downloadable trailer: Click here