The fifth edition of the Balkan and Mediterranean Film Festival “Across the Lake”, which this year is held for the first time in three cities: Dojran, Strumica and Gevgelija, brings an exceptional cinematic experience. Iranian cinema is in focus at the festival, and the audience will have the rare opportunity to watch an exclusive world premiere.
Together, these five films illustrate the vastness, breadth and ambition of contemporary Iranian cinema, each of them offering a special angle for international festival programs.
“The Orange Forest” brings a lyrical, visually striking introspection rooted in the landscapes of northern Iran, while “Without a Prior Appointment” uses the intimate story of an Iranian woman returning from abroad to explore identity, belonging and cultural diversity with emotional universality. “The Projectionist” serves as a warm, nostalgic love letter to cinema itself, while “The Captain” continues the tradition of socially conscious drama by paying tribute to nurses and children with cancer, delivering a humanistic, artistic narrative that fits easily into the festival’s human rights and health-focused guidelines.
“The Gambler” pushes Iranian genre cinema into bold new territory as a cyber-thriller based on a real-life case of digital warfare, touching on global anxieties about data, trust, and invisible enemies.
Together, these films demonstrate the Iranian industry’s ability to navigate between poetic realism, intimate social drama, meta-cinematic nostalgia, ethical humanism, and high-concept thriller.
The festival will also host a panel discussion on the topic “Who Will Direct the Future of Contemporary Iranian Cinema? – Can Iranian Cinema Meet the Challenges of Modern Living?”
