North American Premiere
Introspective and subtle, No Prior Appointment tells the story of an Iranian immigrant who, after 30 years, is compelled to return to her home country upon learning of her estranged father’s death. She hastily takes leave from her work as a doctor in Germany, bringing her young autistic son with her. Director Behrooz Shoaibi explores the ideas of return, leftover threads of memory of a land, and the sense of self that was once left behind. With nuanced grace, the film explores the longing for homeland, the questions of belonging, and the strange sense of homecoming upon return to the country of your childhood.
Pegah Ahangarani leads the film with her steady presence. Filled with fascinating, warm characters, No Prior Appointment provides a vibrant glimpse of Iran. Chosen by the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO as film of the year for its portrayal of autism, and nominated for Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Screenplay at the 2022 Fajr Film Festival.
Media Partner
Pegah Ahangarani, Mostafa Zamani, Elham Korda, Amin Miri, Mohammad Kiani, Erfan Ebrahimi, Saber Abar
Iran
2022
In Farsi with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Quincy Mayes Brazilian Soul Experience
The Quincy Mayes Brazilian Soul Experience is thrilled to present a special performance showcasing the diverse, Afro-centric roots of samba, soul, and funk alongside a screening of the essential Brazilian film City of God. Please note there will be no Standby available for this event.
Chez Jolie Coiffure
Having immigrated to Belgium from Cameroon, Sabine manages Chez Jolie Coiffure. Her salon patrons, many of them undocumented immigrants, are not only be made to feel beautiful but can also escape the daily difficulties and harsh realities of their lives.
No Other Land
Deemed by many critics one of the essential films of 2024, a multiple festival award winner and a nominee for the Academy Award for Best Documentary, No Other Land is a reminder that mass expulsion is by no means a new reality for Palestinians.
Credits
Producer
Mahmoud Babaie
Screenwriter
Farhad Tohidi, Mehdi Torab Beigi
Cinematography
Mohammad Haddadi
Editor
Ata Mehrad
Production Design
Keivan Moghaddam
Original Music
Masoud Sekhavat Doust
Director
Behrooz Shoaibi
Born in 1979 in Mashhad, Behrooz Shoaibi has been active in different fields of cinema. As an actor, he started his career with Ebrahim Hatamikia’s The Glass Agency (1998) and gained critical and public attention with Homayoun Asadian’s Gold and Copper (2010). His TV movies and series include The Sloe Garden (2005), Wings of Happiness (2008), Abandoned (2009), Somewhere Between Staying and Going (2010), and Secluded (2014). His debut feature film, The Corridor, was nominated for Best Film at the 2013 Fajr International Film Festival.
Filmography: The Corridor (2013); Cyanide (2016); Axing (2017); The Uprising Day (2019)