I Fear Blue Skies

I Fear Blue Skies
Directed bySalar Pashtoonyar
Screenplay bySalar Pashtoonyar
Produced bySalar Pashtoonyar
StarringAhmad Zaki
Sami Asir
CinematographySalar Pashtoonyar
Edited byFjordi Spahiu
Release date
  • September 6, 2025 (2025-09-06) (TIFF)
Running time
12 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguagesDari
Pashto

I Fear Blue Skies is a Canadian short drama film, directed by Salar Pashtoonyar and released in 2025.[1] Set in Afghanistan during the 2020–2021 U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, the film stars Ahmad Zaki as an Afghan man who must meet with a Taliban minister (Sami Asir) to request permission to restart an American-backed organization he previously worked for so that he can secure a visa to escape the country.[2]

The film premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where it was named the winner of the Vimeo Staff Pick award.[3]

References

  1. ^ C.J. Prince, "10 Must-See Short Films at TIFF 2025". The Film Stage, September 2, 2025.
  2. ^ Andrew Parker, "TIFF 2025: Inside Short Cuts Programme 02". TheGATE.ca, September 5, 2025.
  3. ^ Pete Hammond, "‘Hamnet’ Wins Oscar-Predictive Toronto Film Festival People’s Choice Award". Deadline Hollywood, September 14, 2025.