About the festival
Last updated October 26, 2026
Persian Film Awards is an annual festival and awards for films by filmmakers of Persian heritage and language: Iranian, Afghan, Tajik, and the many local and tribal languages of the Persian-speaking world.
Founded in 2024, it screens every year from March 1 to April 2, the season of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in several countries, with an official ceremony in Toronto to announce the winners and top nominees.
The main sections are Short Films, Animation and Documentary (competition and exhibit), Featured Films (exhibit only) and the World Section, with guest films from over 100 countries.
In 2024, our first year, the festival had no competition: films were screened and celebrated but not judged. The competition and the annual medals began in 2025.