Director: Karim Amini
Cast: Pejman Jamshidi, İlay Erkök, Gholamreza Nikkhah, Bijan Banafshekhah, Hooman Hajabdollahi
Ghostantanieh is a 2026 Iranian comedy-drama directed by Karim Amini, following a mismatched band of ordinary Iranians who board a plane to Istanbul under the thin cover of a vaccination trip, only to find their scheme unravel in spectacularly chaotic fashion.
What is Ghostantanieh about?
A handful of restless Iranians, each nursing private ambitions and economic frustrations, pool together a plan that hinges on crossing into Turkey for what they officially call a vaccination appointment. The real motive is money — or at least the hope of it. Once they land in Istanbul, competing agendas, poorly kept secrets, and a cascade of unexpected complications throw every carefully laid plan into disarray. Romantic entanglements, comic misunderstandings, and the sheer absurdity of their shared predicament bind strangers into an unlikely fellowship. The film tracks the group's misadventures through a foreign city as their schemes collide with reality.
Cast & crew
Director Karim Amini assembles a wide ensemble headlined by Pejman Jamshidi, one of Iran's most recognisable comic actors, alongside veteran character performer Gholamreza Nikkhah and Bijan Banafshekhah. Hooman Hajabdollahi, Ali Oji, Naeimeh Nezamdoost, and Narges Mohammadi round out the Iranian contingent, while İlay Erkök represents the Turkish side of the cast.
Context & significance
Films that follow Iranian characters venturing abroad have a long comedic tradition in Persian cinema — from early road-trip comedies to more recent caper formats that use the foreign setting as both a literal and metaphorical mirror. Ghostantanieh belongs to this lineage, using Istanbul as a playground for class satire and fish-out-of-water comedy. For diaspora viewers, the premise of chasing a better fate across a border carries an added layer of recognition, even when played for laughs. The Istanbul backdrop also connects to the city's long role as a transit point and cultural crossroads between Iran and the wider world.
Where & how to watch
Ghostantanieh is available now on K-Time with the original Persian audio. Watch on your browser, TV, or phone with no VPN needed and no geo-blocking. Start a subscription and cancel anytime.