AZI by Montana Mann at Sundance Film Festival

A teenager is swept into a game of power in Montana Mann’s Sundance selected short AZI

Los Angeles, CA (January 20, 2024). Inspired by director and writer Montana Mann’s own coming-of-age experience. AZI tells the intimate and timely story of a Persian-American teenager contending with her identity and sexuality. The short follows seventeen-year-old Azi (Dior Negeen Goodjohn) on a weekend away with her best friend’s family. Where she unexpectedly forms a mysterious and electric connection with another woman on the trip. The woman is Elizabeth (Breeda Wool). This results in a psychological game that raises complex questions about their motives, power dynamics and the ability to take control of one’s own agency.

Montana Mann is a Persian-American award-winning writer/director from Virginia. Her most recent narrative short film is AZI. It world premiered at Palm Springs International Shortfest, and won the SAGindie Award at HollyShorts. The feature adaptation of the same short participated in the 2024 Film Independent Fast Track program. She is part of the MENA/SWANA diaspora. Her work explores the journey of finding one’s identity as a female living between two cultures.

The Official Trailer for AZI Directed by Montana Mann

Producer Steven Snyder is an independent producer who most recently worked with Jim Burke at his company, Innisfree Pictures. There, he worked on the production of Green Book, which won three Academy Awards including the Oscar for Best Picture. He is an executive producer on Dreamin’ Wild. Which world premieres at the 2022 Venice Film Festival. And, it was released through Roadside Attractions. He is a 2024 Film Independent Fellow. And is in selection to participate in Inside Out’s International Finance Forum promoting queer creatives.

AZI will screen at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in Short Film Program 2. It is premiering on January 24 at 12pm MST. Find more information here.

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