TEHRAN – The 42nd edition of Fajr International Theater Festival is scheduled to be held in the Iranian capital from January 13 to February 1, 2024, the organizers have announced.

The festival has released the call for submissions for its upcoming edition, inviting a vast variety of performances from stage plays, street theater, student theater, national theater, television shows, radio plays, screenplay competitions, as well as theater-related photography and poster exhibitions and workshops. 

The research seminar of the festival will center on the historical, current, and upcoming aspects of the Fajr Theater Festival. It will delve into insightful conversations regarding the festival's framework, financial planning, and administration, as well as propose innovative ideas to enhance its growth and development. 

Registration of work and strict adherence to festival regulations is mandatory for all participants, both locally and internationally. 

Selected productions at the festival will receive financial support that will be determined based on several factors, including the number of participants and their distance from Tehran. 

Directors are allowed to represent only one production for the festival, while performers are limited to a maximum of two performances. 

Additionally, the festival could explore the option of showcasing productions through virtual platforms. 

Applications from interested parties can be submitted and required materials can be uploaded on the festival's official website.

Last year's festival featured an extraordinary lineup of ten international troupes taking the stage.

Iraqi director Mohammad Moayyed’s troupe performed “Mercy Shot”, while another Iraqi troupe with director Javad Asadi took “Amal” on stage.

“Amal” was the big winner of the 41st Fajr International Theater Festival by garnering awards in three categories, including best director and best play.

Written and directed by Jawad Al-Assadi, the play focuses on the hardship of wartime and the question arises whether it is right to invite someone else into this world under these conditions.

The play also brought Haider Juma the award for best actor, while set designer Ali Al-Sudani and actress Rizab Ahmad Hassan Al-Karkhi won honorable mentions for their collaboration in this production.

Spanish director Txema Munoz staged “Lumiere” (“Light”), and Hafiz Khalifa from Tunisia directed a stage adaptation of Italian poet Dante Alighieri’s “The Divine Comedy”. 

Omani director Yousuf Al-Bulushi competed at the festival with “Henna Pestle”, and Jordanian director Ayad Al-Rimoni participated at the festival with “Naqoura Train”. 

Armenian director Ara Yernjakyan, the founder and artistic director of the Yerevan State Chamber Theater, staged William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, while Russian writer Nikolay Mikhaylovich Karamzin’s 1792 story “Bednaya Liza” (“Poor Liza”), was directed by his renowned compatriot Mark Rozovsky.

“Apatridas” (“Stateless”), a multimedia play divided into two monologues written by Carina Casuscelli was staged by Brazilian director Lenerson Polonini.

An adaptation of Nikolay Gogol’s short story “The Overcoat” (“Shinel”) was also staged by a Russian troupe. 

SAB/