TEHRAN-Seven movies scheduled for Nowruz (Persian New Year) screenings hit Iranian cinemas on Wednesday, two weeks ahead of the year's turn and the beginning of spring on March 20.

The newly released films include “Parviz Khan” directed by Ali Saqafi, “Alligator Blood” by Javad Ezzati, “The West Sky” by Mohammad Asgari, “Nowruz” by Soheil Movafagh, “Bodiless” by Morteza Alizadeh, “Projectionist” by Qorbanali Taherfar, and “Iliya, Search of Hero” by Ali Mousavinejad, Honaronline reported.

“Parviz Khan” is a biographical film centered on the late Iranian football player and coach Parviz Dehdari (1935-1992), who served as the head coach of Persepolis F.C., Homa F.C., and the national football team during his coaching career.

Distinct from typical sports narratives, the film delves deeper into the social dimensions of Dehdari's influential career. Last month, it won the first feature film award at the 42nd Fajr Film Festival in Tehran.

Notable actors such as Saeed Poursamimi, Maryam Saadat, Hamidreza Pegah, and Behnam Tashakkor are in the cast among others.

Produced by the Owj Arts and Media Organization, the movie unfolds the narrative of prominent national team players who decided to resign from the national team at a time Dehdari coached it.

The comedy “Alligator Blood,” Ezzati's directorial debut, presents a narrative featuring Abbas Jamshidifar, Saeed Aqakhani, Elnaz Habibi, Behzad Khalaj, and Shabnam Qorbani, as well as Ezzati.

A prominent actor, known for both his comedies and dramas, Ezzati won the award for the best debut director at the 42nd Fajr Film Festival last month. The film tells the story of a man and a woman, played by Ezzati and Habibi, who inadvertently enter into a bet that causes many incidents.

“The West Sky” is a tribute to helicopter pilot Ali Akbar Shiroudi (1955-1981) who was martyred during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war. It recounts the early wartime bravery of martyr Shiroudi.

A production of Soureh Cinema Organization and Farabi Cinema Foundation, the film has Milad Keymaram, Amir Hossein Arman, Nader Fallah, and Nasim Adabi in the cast among others.

It becomes the second artistic tribute to martyr Shiroudi, following the “Simorgh” series, and marks the first cinematic portrayal of his courageous story.

Shiroudi was one of the pilots of his time who had the highest number of flights in the world. He defended the Iranian territories during the initial years of the Iran-Iraq war era. In 1982, after damaging several Iraqi tanks in Ghare Balagh located in the Zahab desert, his helicopter was shot by the enemy and he was martyred.

“Nowruz” is a journey for young minds, which depicts Iranian myths, legends, customs, and traditions to children and teenagers.

With a cast featuring Ali Nasirian, Mehdi Hashemi, Shabnam Moqaddami, Afshin Hashemi, and Mahtab Servati, the film promises a captivating historical and fantasy atmosphere.

Ali Nasirian plays the role of the Amu Nowruz, who goes to the Nane Sarma's house to find Hajji Firuz. However, he has an accident on the way. The film talks about Iranian legends of the victory of spring over winter. Mavafaq, also the film writer, has tried to introduce Iranian children to their traditional and ancient rituals with this film. 

The crime movie “Bodiless” is a loose adaptation of several real judicial cases, including the criminal case of the murder of Ghazaleh Shakur by Arman Abdul Ali.

Elnaz Shakerdoost, Navid Pourfaraj, Gelareh Abbasi, Sorush Sehhat, and Pejman Jamshidi are in the cast among others.

“Projectionist” is an adaptation of a book of the same name whose story takes place in the 1980s — the period of Iraqi imposed war against Iran. It narrates the story of a simple painter who loves cinema and wishes to make his first feature film, so he takes up a heroic path.

Touraj Alvand, Fatemeh Masoudifar, Reza Naji, Houman Barghnavard, Omid Rouhani, and Alireza Ostadi perform in the directorial debut of Taherfar.

“Iliya, Search of Hero” is the first feature animation by Mousavinejad that won the jury’s special award at the 35th International Film Festival for Children and Youth in Isfahan last year.

The main character of the animated film is a teenager named Arash, who is one of the top four gamers in the world. While entering a global online game, he gets himself and his family involved in an international police case.

SS/SAB