According to the Public Relations report of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, in line with the implementation of the provisions of the Iran-Philippines cultural exchange program, the 2024 Iranian Film Festival will be held in cooperation with the General Department of Media Cooperation and Cyberspace of the Organization of Islamic Culture and Communications with the presence of Mrs. Michelle Niki Honia, head of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Yousef Esmaeil Zadeh, Ambassador and Abdolmajid Abolghasemi, Iran's Cultural Counselor in the Philippines, diplomats of some embassies, influential cultural figures, active networks and institutions in the field of women and family and a group of cinema enthusiasts. The opening ceremony officially took place at the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Manila. At, the beginning of this ceremony, Ms. Michelle Niki Honia, President of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, said: We at the Cultural Center of the Philippines are proud to host the opening of the Iranian Film Festival this year in celebration of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Iran and the Philippines. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1964, the Philippines has realized the prominent role of Iran in regional and international affairs, and these two countries have a long history of cooperation in the field of science and technology, especially in agriculture and biotechnology, medicine and pharmaceuticals, and nanotechnology.

 

 

She added: "In these relations, the goodwill of Iran is quite evident and there is still a lot of space to strengthen the relations between the two countries, such as the art festival. Today, we have gathered here to recognize the favorite art cinema of Iran and the Philippines." Cinema, like other art forms, reflects our social realities.

 

Michel Niki Honia emphasized that Iranian films are known for their thought-provoking stories about human relationships and the simple joys of life, and they continue to attract countless audiences at international festivals.

 

She continued: There is a sense of intimacy and community that is unique to Iranian cinema. It is a visual and emotional journey that takes us to the core of the country - their culture, heritage, social resilience and artistic innovation.

 

Michel Niki Honia pointed out: There is no limit to the variety of stories that we can see in world cinema. The Film Department of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Broadcasting and New Media, the Cultural Department of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Manila and the UP Film Institute hope to bring together creative minds, storytellers and fans of the Iranian cinema industry with the Iranian Film Festival.

 

She said that we hope to create more awareness and appreciation of Iranian cinema among the Filipino people through this festival.

 

 

In his speech, the Cultural Counselor of our country, Abolghasemi, pointed out the deep and friendly relations between Iran and the Philippines and said: "Iranian cinema, by presenting concepts such as family and love for the divine nature, as well as social issues, has taken the lead from Western cinema and become a pioneer in the field. Perhaps Iranian films may not seem attractive at first glance, but in the lower layers, they offer a world of lessons from the spiritual dimension of art. Currently, Iranian cinema is progressing in its semantics. Semantic cinema is a cinema that does not separate the "attributes from the essence" of the phenomena and pays attention to their essence while seeing the attributes.

 

He added: Iranian cinema has been praised by the outside world in several periods and has made achievements. Iran's filmmaking industry has become one of the best of its kind in the world with Iranian film festivals such as Fajr Film Festival, which are held globally every year.

 

Abolghasemi pointed out: Today, many young and talented filmmakers in the amateur and professional fields are committed to making films and with a small budget they create a masterpiece that arouses the admiration of everyone and a large number of these filmmakers at the international level due to The making of successful films has been recognized in various festivals, and you will see some of these successes the course of this festival.

 

He expressed his hope that holding this film festival will be a positive step in the development and promotion of cultural relations with the aim of increasing the knowledge and mutual understanding of the people of the two countries.

 

 

In the continuation of this ceremony, with regard to the crimes of the Zionist regime in Gaza and in order to express sympathy for the oppressed people of Palestine, the movie "Survivor" by the late artist of our country Seifollah Dad was screened.

 

It is worth mentioning that the Iranian Film Festival will continue in the Philippines (from February 17-20) showcasing 7 best works of Iranian cinema with titles such as The Survivor, Romanticism of Emad & Tooba, Bodyguard, The Other One's Father, Villa Dwellers, Wild Jonquils, and Takhti will be screened for 4 days.