The 42nd Tehran International Short Film Festival (TISFF) has drawn 10,200 submissions from 145 countries, marking one of its strongest international turnouts. This Academy AWARDS®-qualified festival reported the largest entries in fiction (5,890), documentary (1,508), experimental (1,007), animation (1,003), and artificial intelligence (680).
China led with 3,650 entries, followed by Spain (891), India (494), the U.S. (452), and France and Brazil (323 each). Italy, South Korea, Russia, Mexico, Germany, Argentina, Portugal, Egypt, and Chile also rank among the top 15 countries with the most submissions. Submissions came through FilmFreeway, Festhome, and Toujiang.
Iranian films selected for the international section will be added to the global competition upon recommendation of the national selection committee.
The festival, directed by Behrouz Shoaibi, runs October 18–24, 2025, at the Iran Mall Cinema Complex in Tehran.