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Thu. Feb. 15, 2001
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Art & Culture > Movie &Theatre > Archive
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Showcasing Iran's Talent: The Fajr Film Festival
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Iran has a rich culture full of artistic talent that dates back to the times of the Persian Empire. It is a shame, however, that this talent does not receive proper attention, amidst the war of world politics.
Fortunately, Iran does have an annual film festival to showcase its premier talent in the artistic genre of film - the Fajr Film Festival, a perfect opportunity for the world to experience the Iranian culture through film.
Every year, Iran's capital (Tehran) holds festivals of theater, music, and film for eleven days, leading up to the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. The Fajr Film Festival proffers the Iranian community the opportunity to experience movie magic, featuring never-before-seen (and, in many instances, never-again-seen) Iranian productions, as well as offering a diverse menu of international films.
This year's Festival was quite successful. World-renowned Iranian artists were represented in the twenty or so titles of the National Competition section. Titles likely to see further festival recognition include Killing Rabid Dogs by Bahram Bayzai (Bashu, The Little Strangers, Travelers), Raining by art house favorite, Majid Majidi (The Color of Paradise, Children of Heaven), The Hidden Half by outspoken feminist Tahmineh Milani (Two Women, Legend of a Sigh), and Delbaran by maverick Abolfazl Jalili (Dance of the Dust, A True Story). A title receiving particular attention was Ebrahim Hatamikia's The Dead Wave, the first ever film to be digitally shot, edited, and mixed in Iran.
Also of attraction was the international portion of the Festival, for which over forty countries were present. Included in this event was A Festival of Festivals, exhibiting titles introduced in other festivals, a showcase for actors Robert de Niro and Dariush Arjmand, and an International Competition. A tribute to three directors - veteran Iranian female director, Rakhshan Bani-Etemad (The May Lady, The Blue-Veiled, Nargess), Roberto Rosellini, and Ken Loach - and a focus on editors Hassan Hassandoost and Jerry Greenberg (an Oscar-winner for The French Connection) added to the celebration.
There was also a showcase for Italian cinema, and a special spotlight on Iranian short films called "Cinema of the Future." Rakhshan Bani-Etemad chaired the International Competition Jury, which included fellow Iranian helmer Mohammad-Ali Talebi, Hungarian director Bela Tarr, Chicago film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum, Canadian producer Rock Demers, Japanese costume designer Emiko Wada, and festival programmer Dimitri Eipides.
Now in its nineteenth edition, Fajr Festival 2001 is officially a part of the "Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations." Its inclusion was proposed by Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and approved by the United Nations. The Festival and the Farabi Cinema Foundation hosted an international colloquium on the cinema from February 4th to the 6th. Among the topics for discussion were "The Iranian Cinema and Dialogue Among Civilizations," "Globalization and the Future of Cinema," "The Eastern Cinema and the Western Audience," "The Western Cinema and the Eastern Audience," and "The Impact of Western Culture on the Iranian Cinema."
The Farabi Cinema Foundation, a governmental organization responsible for the promotion of Iranian films and filmmakers, also hosted the Fourth Iranian Film Market from February 4th to the 9th. With a number of international guests in attendance, it offered special screenings of new Iranian work at Tehran's Museum of Contemporary Arts by day, and meetings with Iranian producers, distributors and cultural associations by night where older work and work-in-progress were viewed on video in a market setting.
American buyers such as Milos Stehlik of Facets Multimedia and representatives from New Yorker Films, Miramax, and Astor Entertainment, as well as film festival programmers from the Cannes Director's Fortnight, Venice, Toronto, Torino, San Sebastian, Tokyo, Locarno, Hamburg, Montreal, Seattle, Sundance, San Francisco, Mill Valley and Fort Lauderdale were present for this exciting affair.
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