The 5th edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia has announced the lineup for its main competition. The festival will take place from December 4 to 13, showcasing 16 films in the competitive section. “Black Rabbit, White Rabbit”, directed by Shahram Mokri and co-produced by the UAE and Tajikistan, will represent one of the featured films.
Previously, the film received the Future of Asia Award at the Busan International Film Festival and has also been presented at the London Film Festival and the Chicago International Film Festival. Additionally, it will serve as Tajikistan’s official entry for the 2026 Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category.
“Black Rabbit, White Rabbit” is filmed in Tajik and Persian and features actors Babak Karimi, Hasti Mohamayi, Kubria Dilobova, and Bijan Davlyatov. The screenplay was written by Shahram Mokri and Nasim Ahmadpour, and is produced by Negar Eskandarfar.
The story synopsis reads: "A suspicious cinematic prop, a mysterious acting audition, a conspiratorial road accident, and multiple rabbits intertwine in this daring and seductive drama. A cinematic gunman mistakes a fake gun for a real one. An actor steps onto the scene demanding a role. A victim of an accident questions whether the incident was intentional. Three seemingly separate narratives weave into a puzzling whole, with long, fluid takes, subtle humor, and touches of magical realism characteristic of Mokri’s work."
This is Mokri’s fourth feature film. His first feature, “Fish & Cat” (2013), won a special award in the Horizons section at the Venice Film Festival. He then directed “Careless Crime” (2020), presented at Venice, and “The Attack” (2017), screened at Berlin, followed by “Careless Crime”, which received the Jury Prize at the Chicago Film Festival.
The film’s international distribution is handled by DreamLab Films, led by Nasrin Mirshab.