TEHRAN – Mohammad Khazaei, producer of acclaimed movies such as “Emperor of Hell” and “Damascus Time”, has been appointed the new director of the Cinema Organization of Iran (COI).

The appointment was announced on Wednesday evening by Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad-Mehdi Esmaeili, who has asked Khazaei to focus on twelve issues in his new mission.

One of the issues is “making plans to protect teachings, values and achievements of the Islamic Revolution through producing movies and documentaries for distribution across the world.”

He also asked Khazaei to establish rules for the screening of Iranian films at foreign international festivals.

Khazaei has also been asked to introduce new regulations for purchasing foreign films for screening in the country.

Esmaeili has also ordered the new director of the Cinema Organization of Iran to assume control of series and movies produced for the home entertainment network.

45-year-old Khazaei is the producer of “Emperor of Hell”, written directed by Parviz Sheikhtadi on the key role of Saudi muftis in the rise of ISIS.

He also worked in director and writer Ebrahim Hatamikia’s drama “Damascus Time” on ISIS.  

However, he is most famous for producing the controversial 2012 movie “The Golden Collars” directed by Abolqasem Talebi about a conspiracy orchestrated by the British intelligence service to instigate riots in the aftermath of the 2009 Iran presidential elections with the help of a group of Iranian expatriates recruited mainly from the Mojahedin-e-Khalq terrorist organization.

Khazaei also served as presidents of the 15th International Resistance Film Festival in 2018 and the 30th Fajr International Film Festival in 2011.

Photo: New director of the Cinema Organization of Iran, Mohammad Khazaei, in an undated photo.

MMS/YAW