Vital
Short Film Program
Iran / Turkey / Canada
Schedule
Nov. 15, 2026 | 12:00 PM
Synopsis:
A mother in Iran, considers selling her organs to save her daughter, while in the United States, a doctor faces ethical dilemmas to save his daughter, revealing the complexities of organ trade.
Director
Amir Zargara
Amir Zargara is an award-winning Iranian-Canadian writer and director whose filmmaking is deeply influenced by his immigrant resilience and personal experience living with a stutter. An alumnus of prestigious programs at Berlinale, TIFF, Busan, and Film Independent, he explores moral complexities through widely celebrated projects—most notably his Oscar-qualifying short films VITAL and A GOOD DAY WILL COME, which have earned over 100 awards across more than 200 festivals worldwide. His screenplays have achieved recognition from major competitions like the Academy’s Nicholl Fellowship and The Black List, while his directorial work features collaborations with acclaimed actors such as Barkhad Abdi, Mehdi Bajestani, and Reza Akhlaghirad, with distribution across platforms including The Criterion Channel, CBC, Crave, and the BFI.
