TEHRAN – A book discussing advantages and disadvantages of screening foreign films to Iran’s national cinema will be introduced during a ceremony at the 35th Fajr International Film Festival on April 23. 

The book titled “Foreign Film Screenings, Opportunities and Threats for National Cinema” has been compiled by Shahab Esfandiari

It contains speeches delivered at a seminar by the same title held at the Faculty of Cinema and Theater at the Tehran University of Art during the previous edition of the festival last year. 

They include talks delivered by a number of Iranian and foreign scholars, cineastes and cultural officials including Hojjatollah Ayyubi, the former director of the Cinema Organization of Iran, Sergei Kapterev, a film scholar from Russia, and film scholar from Turkey Ozgur Yaren.

Also included in the book is a series of studies conducted by Jafar Sanei-Moqaddam in collaboration with Bahman Aqai on documents and regulations about foreign film screenings in Iran in addition to a number of interviews with cineastes.

The book also contains the studies carried out by several students of cinema on foreign film screenings in eight countries.

The book has been published by the Iranian Artists Forum in collaboration with the Fajr International Film Festival.

The 35th Fajr International Film Festival will be held in Tehran from April 21 to 28.

RM/YAW