EXT-FRIENDSHIP-NIGHT (2024) /
EXT – Friendship – Night is an Iranian feature drama directed by Mehdi Ahmadpanah. Set over the course of one intense night, the film follows four lifelong friends as they celebrate a birthday and prepare to say goodbye before one of them begins his mandatory military service. Told through immersive long takes, the story reflects on friendship, memory, and the lasting impact of a single night that continues to resonate years later.
The film has received several international recognitions, including the Best Indie Film Award and the Best Actor Award (Feature Film) for Alireza Keymanesh at the Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente de Madrid (FICIMAD) 2026.
“Alireza Keymanesh delivers a restrained and emotionally precise performance, capturing the quiet complexity of friendship under pressure. His work stands out for its naturalism and internal intensity, conveying unspoken feelings through subtle gestures, silences, and presence rather than overt expression. The character becomes a vessel through which the film’s central themes—memory, loyalty, and return—gain emotional depth and continuity.
EXT – Friendship – Night ultimately becomes a meditation on how friendships persist across time, distance, and change, and Keymanesh’s performance anchors this reflection with sensitivity and control."
— FICIMAD 2026 on Alireza Keymanesh’s Performance
-1.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
SYNOPSIS
After years away from Iran, Behnam, a young filmmaker, returns to Iran. He reunites with his three closest friends to revisit the final night they spent together before life took them in different directions—a night they documented before Mohammadreza’s departure for mandatory military service.
THE ROLE
Alireza Keymanesh portrays Ali K, one of the film's four central characters and an essential presence within the group of friends at the heart of the story.
Ali is warmhearted, energetic, and instinctive. He often acts before fully thinking through the consequences, and that impulsiveness frequently places him in unexpected situations. Rather than being driven by bad intentions or selfishness, his actions stem from a genuine emotional immediacy. Beneath his playful exterior is someone who cares deeply about the people around him and seeks connection, even when he struggles to express it clearly.
Recently accepted into university in Kashan, Ali now lives away from home in a dormitory. He returns to Tehran for one night to celebrate his close friend Mohammadreza's birthday before Mohammadreza leaves for mandatory military service. During the evening, Ali also finds himself facing unresolved tension in his relationship with Fafa, a situation that challenges his spontaneous and instinctive way of dealing with emotions.
ACCOLADES
Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente de Madrid (FICIMAD) 2026
• Winner — Best Actor (Feature Movies): Alireza Keymanesh
• Winner — Best Indie Film (Feature Movies): EXT-Friendship-Night
Folkestone Independent Film Awards 2025
• Winner — Honorable Mention Award (Best Feature Film): EXT-Friendship-Night
Transilvania International Film Festival 2024
• Nominee — Romanian Days Award (Best Feature Film)
• Nominee — Special Jury Award (Best Director): Mehdi Ahmadpanah
AmiCorti International Film Festival 2025
• Official Selection — EXT-Friendship-Night
Girona Film Festival 2025
• Semi-Finalist — EXT-Friendship-Night
CREDITS
Director
Mehdi Ahmadpanah
Cast
Alireza Keymanesh
Mohammadreza Abangah
Amin Moghadasi
Behnam Khorram Nick
Mojdeh Daee
Crew
Screenwriters Mehdi Ahmadpanah, Mojdeh Daee, Abbas Naseri, Alireza Sardashti, Pantea Tajbakhsh
Producer Amir Shahab Razavian
Executive Producer Azadeh Abdollahi, Saeed Razavian, Farhad Foroutanian
DOP Amin Jafari, Hamid Khorami
Editor Mohammad Afshari
Sound Vahid Razavian
Distributor Zigguart Virtual Art Gallery