The Butler and the Ball will premiere in the Iran at the 7th Madrese International Short Film Festival in Tehran, running October 30-November 4, 2021, for filmmakers aged 7-18 from around the world. The Butler and the Ball is one of 24 films that will be screened. Films will be mutually screened with Serbia on October 30, Azerbaijan on October 31, Russia on November 1, and Wales on November 2. The closing night ceremony will be on November 4.
The Madrese International Short Film Festival was started in 2013 by a group of teachers and artists. Initially, they focused on a number of schools in Tehran, but gradually expanded their work through the whole country after the 5th festival, establishing themselves as the most important short film festival for students under the age of 19. The 6th edition of the festival was the first international edition, receiving 2,157 submissions from Iran and an additional 100 submissions from 14 other countries.
The Butler and the Ball, an urban fairy tale about a lonely boy who enters a contest to become the new butler of a grieving, reclusive singer, was directed by eight-year-old Andrew Chan-Possemato, who wrote and produced it with Albert.