Award-Winning Short Film Exposing Hidden Chapter Of Iranian Jewish History Exclusively Available On Chaiflicks This April
The award-winning short film Mashhad, written and directed by actor and filmmaker Sarah Solemani (Bridget Jones’s Diary), will premiere on the Jewish streaming platform ChaiFlicks on April 6. Ahead of its debut, the film is now available for a limited free preview on YouTube via Reboot Studios.
Mashhad reflects a moment in Iranian and Jewish history that many people are unfamiliar with but also speaks to the long relationship between the Iranian and Jewish communities and the ways diaspora identities continue to intersect. Solemani hopes this film will “generate conversations about the possibility of a more democratic and pluralistic future for Iran, the importance of women’s leadership and participation in rebuilding civic institutions, and the ways Iranian, Jewish, and diaspora communities might imagine a more hopeful future.”
Set in the holy Islamic city of Mashhad in 1930’s Iran, Mashhad follows Miriam, a spirited young Jewish girl living in the ghetto, struggling to understand why her family conceals who they are. Unbeknownst to her, an innocent day playing with a neighborhood friend soon threatens the fragile safety of two households, putting her family’s life in jeopardy. What unfolds is an extraordinary story of religion as oppression, and faith as survival, and a retelling of Iran’s long-lost ethnic group. Produced by Reboot Studios and inspired by writer-director Sarah Solemani’s family history in the Mashhadi Jewish community, the film offers a rare cinematic window into a long-suppressed chapter of Iranian Jewish life. The film will become available on ChaiFlicks beginning April 6. Audiences can watch the short film on YouTube here until it begins streaming exclusively on ChaiFlicks.
Winner of two FFTG awards, including the People’s Choice and The Grand Jury Choice Award, “Mashhad” also won Best Short Film at The Crown Wood International Film Festival, and Best Short Film at the Indian Independent Film Festival.
About Reboot Studios
Reboot Studios supports bold storytelling that explores Jewish identity, culture and history through film and creative media, bringing lesser-known stories and perspectives to broader audiences.
Reboot Studios is the content and creative production arm of Reboot, a renowned Jewish arts and culture nonprofit co-founded by Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw’s Righteous Persons Foundation. Reboot Studios projects have premiered at top festivals like Tribeca, SeriesFest, and HollyShorts, and been acquired by major platforms including HBO Max, The Documentary Channel and ChaiFlicks. Collaborators include Emmy, Tony and Oscar-winning talent and Reboot Studios work has reached more than 34 million people globally. Rebooting.com/studios
About ChaiFlicks
Launched in 2020, ChaiFlicks is the world’s largest streaming platform dedicated to Jewish content from around the globe. ChaiFlicks has over 3,000 hours of acclaimed films, television series, documentaries, and short films. Available on every major streaming device, ChaiFlicks is a collection of the world’s best Jewish storytellers and creators, with new programming launching every week. The platform is currently available in the US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand. Its sister company, Menemsha Films, was founded in 1998 and is dedicated to distributing the highest-quality arthouse films, hand-picked from around the globe. Learn more at www.chaiflicks.com.
About Menemsha Films
Menemsha Films was founded in 1998 by Neil Friedman. The company set a record, discovering and representing five Academy Award nominees for five years in a row. Menemsha Films has worked for 20 years with a singular mission: “To preserve and share our Jewish stories collected from around the world.” Menemsha has built the largest library of its kind anywhere outside of Israel. Learn more at www.MenemshaFilms.com.