The decision came after a 10-day review process by the selection committee at the Farabi Cinema Foundation, which evaluated eligible movies.
The nine-member selection committee unanimously chose “In the Arms of the Tree”, directed by Khajeh Pasha, from three final contenders.
The film tells the poignant story of a family in crisis, exploring themes of familial relationships and emotional reconnections between parents and children.
The movie received the Crystal Simorgh Award for Best Screenplay at the 41st Fajr International Film Festival.
The other finalists included the documentary “Isatis”, directed by Alireza Dehghan, and the feature film T”he Silent City”, directed by Ahmad Bahrami.
Iran has two best international feature wins, both for director Asghar Farhadi, for “A Separation” in 2012 and in 2017 for “The Salesman”.
Farhadi’s movie “A Separation” won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2012, becoming the first Iranian film to win the award. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
In 2017, Farhadi won his second Oscar for Academy Award for Best International Feature Film for “The Salesman” at the 89th Academy Awards.
