TEHRAN – Iranian cinema has seen over a 100-percent growth in box office receipts over the past five months compared to a similar period a year earlier.

About 30 movies hit the Iranian theaters over the past five months, grossing over 1,740 billion rials (over $45.5 million), while the theaters earned 1,560 billion rials (about $41 million) from the screening of 60 films during 12 months from March 20, 2016 to March 20, 2017, the Persian service of ILNA reported.

Saman Moqaddam’s comedy “Sperm Whale 2: Roya’s Selection” was the top-grossing movie of the past five months with over $5.2 million, followed by two other comedies “Guidance Patrol 2” by Saeid Soheili at over $5.1 million and “Good, Bad, Garish” by Peyman Qasemkhani at over $4.2 million.

The lowest-grossing movie of the past five month was “The White Heart of the Dandelions”, a drama directed by Afshin Mahmudi, with about $22.

Asghar Farhadi’s Oscar-winning movie “The Salesman” was the top-grossing movie of the last Iranian calendar year with over $4 million, followed by director Manuchehr Hadi’s comedy “I Am Not Salvador” at $3.7 million and Qorban Mohammadpur’s melodrama “Salam Mumbai” at over $3.5 million.

Mostafa Almasi’s low-brow comedy “Good Friends” was the lowest-grossing movie of the last Iranian calendar year with over $4,000.

Photo: Reza Attaran acts in a scene from Saman Moqaddam’s comedy “Sperm Whale 2: Roya’s Selection”, which was the top-grossing movie of the past five months in Iran.

MMS/YAW