The Film Delves Into The Story Of Two Young Students Hailing From Different Social Backgrounds Who Cross Paths In 1971 Iran.
Santa Monica College (SMC) student Alci Rengifo’s short film “Azizam” has been selected to be screened at The American Pavilion during the prestigious Cannes Film Festival this month.
The film will be showcased as the sole entry in the Emerging Student Showcase, which is scheduled to take place from May 20 to 27. This marks the eighth time that an SMC student’s work has been featured at the festival.
“Azizam,” written and directed by Rengifo, delves into the story of two young students hailing from different social backgrounds who cross paths in 1971 Iran, a period characterized by the looming revolution.
Produced by Jose Gutierrez and Katia Arami, the film aims to challenge the conventional perspectives portrayed in Western mass media regarding the Iranian Revolution. Rengifo, a Latino filmmaker, drew inspiration from his Salvadoran immigrant mother’s encounters with Iranian students involved in the revolution during her relocation to the United States in the 1970s.
Rengifo expressed his ambition to overcome artificial barriers and demonstrate the influential nature of film. He stated, “When we began making ‘Azizam,’ the challenge was to tell this story in a way where we could prove the power of film to erase artificial boundaries.” Salvador Carrasco, the head of SMC’s film production program, commended “Azizam” as an exemplary manifestation of the program’s commitment to a “global citizenship” approach to filmmaking.
Previously, SMC’s film “Broken Layers,” which was featured in the Emerging Student Showcase, garnered the distinction of winning Best Short. Notably, numerous films showcased at The American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase have gone on to receive recognition with shortlist nominations for Academy Awards.
