TEHRAN – The organizers of the 16th Resistance International Film Festival has received over 3000 submissions from 135 countries in the main competition category.

India stands on the top with about 700 films, next comes the United States with 242, Turkey with 209, Brazil with 193, Spain with 168, England with 127 and Italy with 117.

A lineup of Iranian and international movies including features, documentaries, short films, animations and music videos will be competing in the main category.
 
The festival has been organized in two stages, the first of which took place during the Sacred Defense Week from September 21 to 28, and the second part will be held from November 21 to 27 to celebrate the anniversary of Basij Day, which falls on November 25.

In addition, the organizers will honor the most influential film with a grand prize.

“The festival has consisted of several sections, some of which were held during the Sacred Defense Week in September. The selected works of the sections, in addition to the best of the coming sections, will be competing in the ‘Film in Its Absolute Meaning’ category, and the winner will be receiving the grand prize,” director of the new section Nasser Bakideh has said.

Earlier, the organizers announced that the best screen and TV adaptions of books on the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, which is known as Sacred Defense in Iran, will be honored in a new special section this year.

Adaptions of books on the Islamic Revolution, resistance and regional issues, and Islamic awakening will also be accessed in this section named “Narration of the Pen Section”.

A short, a feature-length movie and a telefilm will be honored in this section. 
 
Screenwriters from across the world whose screenplays have not been made into films are invited to attend the festival in the three languages of Persian, English and Arabic. 

The festival will review films on Commander Qassem Soleimani’s role in awakening people of the region and the world in a special section. 

Interested filmmakers are asked to submit their films on the main characteristic of the martyr as the symbol of resistance, highlighting the bravery of the commander, and the soldiers without borders as the main themes of the section named “Prominent Resistance Martyr Section”.

The oppression of the people in the region, their resistance, and the role of Soleimani in their awareness are also highlighted in the section, which is due to be held internationally. 

The Association of the Revolution and Sacred Defense Theater organizes the festival every year in collaboration with several other institutions.      

Photo: A poster for the 16th Resistance International Film Festival.

RM/MMS/YAW