TEHRAN-The 18th Resistance International Film Festival will be held from May 17 to 24 in Iran.

According to an announcement by the festival, the closing ceremony, slated for May 24, coincides with the anniversary of the liberation of Khorramshahr.

The secretary of the 18th edition of the festival Jalal Ghaffari announced that the closing ceremony of the festival will henceforth be held annually on May 24. He elaborated that the choice of this date goes beyond merely an executive decision; it represents the intersection of resistance cinema with one of the most important periods in contemporary Iranian history.

Emphasizing that the festival is not just a venue for showcasing cinematic works but also a platform for narrating the steadfastness of the Iranian people through the seventh art, he added: “May 24 is not merely a date on the calendar; it symbolizes the breaking of siege, overcoming obstacles, and achieving victory. The selection of this day for the festival's closing ceremony emphasizes that resistance cinema, like Khorramshahr, can overcome the siege of censorship and dominant media narratives, bringing the voice of truth to the ears of the world.”

He asserted the importance of the event's international dimension, stating that resistance cinema reflects the ideals of freedom and anti-imperialism, not only within the country but on a global scale. Over the years, this festival has established its position among committed and concerned filmmakers and has provided a platform for interaction and synergy among resistance artists worldwide.

According to the festival secretary, this year's festival aims to transcend geographical boundaries in resistance cinema, offering a fresh perspective and transforming it into a powerful tool for cultural and media diplomacy.

Ghaffari continued by stating that the festival has become one of the most important cinematic events in the region in the areas of resistance and justice-seeking in recent years. This year’s edition, with a broader approach and a deeper insight into regional and global developments, aims to convey the message of resistance, justice, and the pursuit of truth to the world through cinema.

He also stated that the permanent secretariat of the festival will begin its work this year and added that the details of the programs for this edition will be announced soon.

As Ghaffari said, the festival's secretariat has received more than 6,000 works from 50 countries in various categories of documentary, fiction, and animation.

Additionally, in the humanities category, more than 460 works, including books, articles, and research related to humanities and resistance cinema, have been submitted.

“The main theme of this festival is the oppressed, Palestine, Gaza, and the voices of those who are less heard in cinema. This is the unique feature of the Resistance Film Festival,” he told IRNA.

Referring to the revision of this festival since the previous edition, the secretary added: “From the last edition, the name of this festival was changed from the Sacred Defense Film Festival to the Resistance Film Festival.”

“The focus of this edition of the festival is on events following the Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, and a special section titled ‘Gaza Section’ has been organized,” he added.

Stating that the main section of the Resistance Film Festival is named after Martyr Soleimani, Ghaffari noted: “Sacred Defense, A World Without Israel, Gaza, Narration Generation, Pen Narrative, Humanities and Cinema Criticism, and Artificial Intelligence are among the sections of this festival.”

He also mentioned that the winners under 30 years old will become members of the National Elites Foundation and benefit from its support.  

The secretary highlighted the attention to artificial intelligence technology as another feature of this festival and said: “More than 340 works produced using artificial intelligence have been submitted to the festival. Also, after holding an AI training course, more than 10 outstanding short films have been produced using AI technology, and we are working towards producing the first AI-generated feature film by next year.”

Ghaffari stated that the concept of resistance is the most global theme and added: “So far, festival secretariats have been established in 18 countries.”

Referring to the fact that the screening of festival works began in the Fajr decade, he said: “110 locations across the country have been identified for mobile screenings, and we are striving to ensure that mobile screenings are also held in underprivileged areas of the country.”

This year’s edition will have a new award, the Morteza Badge, as stated by the festival secretary. The prestigious award aims to recognize documentarians whose works resonate deeply with the ideologies of the legendary Martyr Seyyed Morteza Avini, known as the master of martyred writers.

Sayyid Morteza Avini (1947-1993) was an Iranian documentary filmmaker, author, and theoretician of Islamic Cinema. He studied architecture at the University of Tehran in 1965. During the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Avini started his artistic career as a director of documentary films and is considered a prominent war filmmaker.

He made over 80 films on the 1980-1988 Iran–Iraq War. His most famous work is the documentary series Ravayat-e Fath (Narration of Victory), which was filmed during the war and focused on the daily life of Iranian soldiers. It consisted of five series and dealt with the spiritual aspect of the war.

Avini was martyred by a landmine in 1993 during his last trip to the former Iran-Iraq war zone in southwestern Iran while making the documentary “A City in the Sky” about the fall of Khorramshahr and the liberation of the southwestern Iranian city during the Iran-Iraq war.

SS/