
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
Robert Irwin: A Desert of Pure Feeling
No artist instills a sense of sublime awe like the legendary Robert Irwin, Elusive yet down to earth, Irwin is a true original. His extraordinary work is honored in this stunning portrait of one of the most influential contemporary artists of our age.
The Mother of All Lies
As her parents and grandmother prepare to leave the Casablanca home they have lived in for decades, Asmae El Moudir takes the opportunity to probe the past, unraveling repressed truths buried within her own family and Moroccan political history.
A Cooler Climate
In a recollection of veteran filmmaker James Ivory's unfinished film about Afghanistan. Old footage provides a pronounced air of mystery to compliment its rough beauty, setting the scene for a look back into Ivory's life.
Tiger Stripes
Winner of Cannes Critics' Week Grand Prix, Tiger Stripes is a coming-of-age body horror film set in a Malaysian girls' school. 12-year-old Zaffan’s body starts to change before everyone else’s, and she becomes convinced she's turning into a monster.
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)