TEHRAN- On Tuesday, Iran's National Day of Cinema was commemorated during a ceremony at the Shahnaz Hall of the Iranian Artists Forum (IAF). 

Organized by the 5 International Photo Award in collaboration with Diane Gallery Lounge, the ceremony was attended by a number of Iranian cineastes and artists as well as the Ambassador of Japan to Iran, Aikawa Kazutoshi. 

The Japanese ambassador expressed his gratitude to the organizers of the commemorative program for Iran's National Cinema Day during his speech at the ceremony, noting that the festivity also pays tribute to Yasujiro Ozu, the legendary filmmaker, on his 120th birth anniversary.

The celebrated Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami has been greatly influenced by the works of Yasujiro Ozu, which shows the strong connection between Iranian and Japanese cinema, the ambassador said. 

This artistic exchange is not limited to one direction, as Japanese filmmakers are also inspired by their Iranian counterparts, he added. 

Such interactions serve as a means to strengthen cultural bonds and foster friendships between the two nations, he noted. 

For his part, Iranian film director Kamal Tabrizi said that joint film productions between Iran and Japan, centered on shared cultural values and traditions, have the potential to foster a profound relationship between the two nations.

Behdad Najafi Assadollahi, one of the event organizers, also delved into the intertwining relationship between visual arts and cinema, specifically highlighting the impact of painting on Iran's new wave cinema, during the ceremony. 

Moreover, live performances of music, documentary screenings on Iranian cinema, and traditional Iranian puppet shows (kheimeh shab-bazi) were among the highlights of the event. 

Every year, a week-long ceremony and its sessions are organized with different themes. In the past two years, the themes were "A Week with Abbas Kiarostami's Cinema" and "The Impact of World-Class Photographers."

The theme for this year is "A Week Exploring Yasujiro Ozu's Influence on Framing and Composition in Iranian New Wave Cinema," accompanied by critique and review sessions.
 
Lili Golestan, Mehdi Shadizadeh, Behdad Najafi Assadollahi, Alireza Shadizadeh, Zohreh Hassani, and Ghazaleh Sa’adati are among the organizers of the event. 

The 5 International Photo Award’s title refers to “Five Dedicated to Ozu”, Kiarostami’s 2003 documentary which is a tribute to Japanese filmmaker Yasujir Ozu whose work deeply influenced Kiarostami’s films.

Photo: Ambassador of Japan to Iran, Aikawa Kazutoshi, delivers a speech honoring Iran's National Day of Cinema at the Shahnaz Hall of the Iranian Artists Forum (IAF) on September 12, 2023.

SAB/