TEHRAN – The National Iranian Ethnic Film Festival is set to host its first edition in October with the theme "Iranian Ethnic Groups, Rooted in the Land," however, the organizers have announced plans to take the festival to an international level from next year. 

The festival requires the participation of all artists and stakeholders in the cinema industry for its continuation, one of the event's organizers, Farid Heidari said on Tuesday. 

Heidari also highlighted budgetary support and economic investment as significant issues for the event's continuation. He expressed confidence that if no issues arise, the festival will undoubtedly continue for years to come. Unlike other festivals backed by government institutions, the National Iranian Ethnic Film Festival is privately managed and funded, he added. 

Heidari emphasized the organizers' commitment to continue the event annually and make it more prosperous year by year. They plan to expand the festival to encompass other cities and hope that, one day, all provinces with their own ethnic communities will have the opportunity to host such an event.

Additionally, He stated that the festival aims to showcase the work of filmmakers from Iran's various ethnic communities, who have often been marginalized and underrepresented in mainstream cinema. 

“The festival will provide a platform for artists of all ethnicities to exhibit films that highlight their unique cultures, traditions, and tourist attractions, including documentaries, narrative, music videos, and animation films from local filmmakers.”

The festival also intends to function as a space for discovering new talent and serving as a means for filmmakers to connect with their audiences, he concluded. 

The 1st edition of National Iranian Ethnic Film Festival, in its first edition, will be held in Tabriz from October 31 to November 5. The event will organize several workshops featuring cinema figures.

The workshops will cover a broad range of topics, including cinematography, ethnic music and cultures, the economics of cinema, attention to local and native film-making features, indigenous cinema and filmmakers, and reflecting national customs and traditions in cinema, among others.

The primary objective of the National Ethnic Film Festival is to underscore the shared cultural, religious, and customary bonds between the various Iranian ethnic communities while showcasing their unparalleled diversity in terms of lifestyle, customs, and traditions.

The festival is structured into three distinct sections; the main section featuring a wide range of films, including feature, documentary, animation, and music videos. Additionally, the experimental section will showcase works relating to the festival's core themes and goals which push beyond traditional cinematic rules and norms. Finally, the side section will present films that did not meet the criteria for competition in the festival's main sections.

SAB/