TEHRAN –The 25th International Storytelling Festival unveiled an official poster during a ceremony in Tehran on Monday. 

Speaking at the ceremony, Farhad Falah, the director of the festival stated that this year's festival will focus on new approaches and special awards, particularly emphasizing the use of humor and comedy in storytelling. 

Although "Let's Make a Smile with a Story" is the motto for this year's festival, the slogan embodies storytelling's wisdom as well, he noted.

While the utilization of humor and comedy in storytelling is an essential element of this year's festival, the core principle is the creation of a new outlook that produces a smile amidst wisdom through storytelling, he explained. 

He also acknowledged Iran's significant role as one of the leading countries in storytelling on the global stage as he stated that it places great responsibility on the organizers to ensure that the festival is impeccably organized. 

The organizers will exert their utmost effort to make sure it is held in the best possible manner, he said. 

He also underlined the significance of storytelling as a vital tool for education and the development of children and young people, which will be a definite focus of this year's festival. 

The festival aims to encourage families to revert back to the authentic nature of storytelling for educational purposes, he mentioned. 

The festival also serves as a platform for different educational activities, providing support to a variety of content forms that are founded on storytelling, he stated. 

The narrative foundations of storytelling are present in several forms of production, including animations and films, he said and added: “Storytelling has been utilized as a tool for the education and guidance of mankind by divinity, and Iran is harnessing its potential for empowering and educating children and young people.”
 
SAB/