A vibrant lineup of movies, documentaries and shorts by directors from around the globe will be screened during the 34th Fajr International Film Festival, which opens today at Tehran’s Charsu Cineplex. 

By Afshin Majlesi

TEHRAN – A vibrant lineup of movies, documentaries and shorts by directors from around the globe will be screened during the 34th Fajr International Film Festival, which opens today at Tehran’s Charsu Cineplex. 

Fifteen movies, including “1944” directed by Elmo Nuganen from Estonia, “El Clásico” by Halkawt Mustafa from Iraq, “Norfolk” by Martin Radich from the UK and “Guaraní” by Luis Zorraquín from Argentine, will compete in the official section -- Cinema Salvation.

Also among the highlights is Romanian filmmaker Corneliu Porumboiu’s “The Treasure”, the winner of the Prix Un Certain Talent prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2015.

The adventure drama starring Toma Cuzin and Adrian Purcarescu tells the story of two young men who are in search of a lost treasure. 

A jury composed of Oscar-nominated director Majid Majidi and several other cineastes will judge the movies.

Director Nasser Taqvai from Iran, Chinese filmmaker and producer Tian Zhuangzhuang, Spanish director José Luis Guerín, producers Ivo Felt from Estonia and Zeynep Ozbatur Atakan from Turkey, and Canadian writer Emmanuel Prevost are other members of the jury.

Eastern Vista highlighting films from Asian, Muslim nations

This year’s Eastern Vista, a section dedicated for films from Asian and Muslim nations, will screen fifteen movies, including “Solomon” by Zaza Khalvashi from Georgia and “My Sister, the Pig Lady” by Jang Moon-il from South Korea. 

The organizers will also screen a variety of films, namely “The Assassin”, a martial arts drama by Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsien and “Lamb” by American director Ross Partridge, in some none-competitive sections. 

Review of Iranian New Wave cinema

Iran’s New Wave cinema will be reviewed by screening a restored version of veteran director Dariush Mehrjui’s acclaimed 1969 drama “The Cow” today. 

The film starring Ezzatollah Entezami won the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Prize of the Venice Film Festival in 1971. It was the first award the Iranian motion picture industry ever received in an international event.

French cinema under spotlight

As one of its side section programs, the festival plans to organize a review of the French motion picture industry by screening six movies by the country’s prominent filmmakers.
 
The biographical drama “Anton Tchekhov 1890” by Rene Feret, the crime thriller film “Rabid Dogs” by Éric Hannezo and the computer animated fantasy film “The Little Prince” by Mark Osborne are among the films.

Workshops by top Iranian cineastes

A number of top Iranian cineastes such as Oscar-winning director Asghar Farhadi and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Majid Majidi are scheduled to hold a series of workshops on the sidelines of the festival. 

Workshops will also be set up by cinematographer Mahmud Kalari, and directors Fereidun Jeirani, Farzad Motamen, Puran Derakhshandeh, Alireza Davudnejad and Majid Barzegar. 

Over 100 students from Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Iran have registered for the six-day workshop program entitled “Dar ul-Funun”, the name of the Iranian polytechnic established in 1851. 

Iranian films for sale

Over 30 films from latest Iranian productions and dozens of animated movies are on display by various Iranian distributers at the Iranian Film Market, which is underway on the sidelines of the event. 

Among the highlights of the market are “Life+1 Day” directed by Saeid Rustai, “Standing in the Dust” by Mohammad-Hossein Mahdavian, “Fury and Furor” by Hooman Seyyedi, “Breath” by Narges Abyar and “Muhammad (S), the Messenger of God” by Majid Majidi.

About 150 international distributers, directors, actors and critics from around the globe have been invited to attend the event, which will run until April 25.

Photo: A poster for the 34th Fajr International Film Festival

AFM/YAW
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