Iran’s deputy ambassador to Afghanistan Saeid Seyyedin, cultural attaché Naser Jahanshahi as well as several other Iranian cultural officials and cineastes attended the opening ceremony, the Persian service of IRNA reported on Friday.
Several movies including “The Child and the Angel” (by director Masud Naqqashzadeh), “M for Mother” (Rasul Mollaqolipur), “Night Bus” (Kiumars Purahmad), “Good Night Commander” (Ensieh Shah-Hosseini) and “Gilaneh” by Rakhshan Bani-Etemad will go on screen at the Pamir Theater and Kabul University on Saturday and will run for three days.
Several of Afghanistan’s state-run TV channels are also scheduled to screen the movies.
Iran hosted the festival concurrent with the Sacred Defense Week beginning on September 22 every year. The festival was brought to an end with the presentation of four awards to “Awareness of Dreams” by director Mohammad-Ali Basheh Ahangar this year.
Previously, the festival was held under the title of the Sacred Defense Film Festival. The term “sacred defense” refers to the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war in Iran.
While the organizers have selected the Arabic word “moqavemat” (resistance) referring the Palestinians’ struggle against the Israelis, the festival will also be moving to the countries of Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey.
“Al Kindi” Theater Hall in Damascus will be hosting the event starting on Sunday.
Secretary of the festival Mohammad Khazaei at the head of a 15-member delegation will attend the program on Sunday, said Basel Sarabi, an official from Iran’s Cultural Office in Syria.
Syria’s Minister of Culture Riyad Naasan Agha, several cultural officials and Syrian cinematic figures will be attending the opening ceremony.
The Iranian movies will go on screen with Arabic subtitles. The programs will continue until Thursday.
The Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance is also due to pay tribute to eight Syrian artists who have had major roles in films with the central theme of war and resistance.
RM/YAW
END
MNA
Your Comment