CULTURAL CENTRE HOSTS IRANIAN FILM FESTIVAL, 2024
The Cultural Center of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Zimbabwe has, for the first time in more than a decade, hosted the much-celebrated and internationally famed Iranian film festival in Harare.
3 February 2024
The Cultural Centre of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Zimbabwe has, for the first time in more than a decade, hosted the much-celebrated and internationally famed Iranian film festival in Harare.
The festival was held to mark the 45th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.
The festival, held at local theatre hall, was attended by a full house of over 120 people, consisting mostly of cinema industry players in Zimbabwe.
The festival was organised by the Cultural Centre in partnership with the Cinema Society of Zimbabwe, the main body representing cinema players in the country.
In his opening remarks to the expectant and excited audience, the Cultural Counsellor at the Embassy of Iran, Mr Hamid Bakhtiyar expresses his joy at the resumption of the film festival that had become a major event on the Zimbabwe Cinema calender in many years gone by.
He was also elated by the high turnout by Zimbabwe's main film industry players who consisted of actors, producers and directors.
Mr Bakhtiyar said over the last 50 years, Iran has been a major film global player, whose success was driven by the government of Iran's support, both in terms of the investments in film production and in the creation of cinema houses and in the organisation and hosting of local, regional and international film festival, an example being the forthcoming Fajr International film festival.
The Cultural Counsellor said Iran was a major film producing country, with most film produced getting global recognition and awards.
He said the Islamic Revolution abolished the screening of films that had superficial and vulgar content that were being produced before the popular Islamic Revolution.
Mr Bakhtiyar said the Islamic Republic of Iran intends to establish relations between the Iranian and Zimbabwean cinematographers.
A representative of the Cinema Society of Zimbabwe noted that Iran produced clean family films.
The films that were screened were: 'Romanticism of Emad &Touba and Where Is My Shoes'
