Isfahan children’s film festival shifts to online over coronavirus spike
TEHRAN –(Iranart)- The 33rd edition of the International Film Festival for Children and Youth will be held online during October this year due to a spike in coronavirus cases in the country, the director of the festival, Alireza Tabesh, has said.
He made the remarks on the TV program “Shahr-e Farang” broadcasted on Channel 6 on Thursday.
“This edition of the festival will be held in the two national and international sections, and the Farabi Cinema Foundation, Cinema Organization of Iran, and the Isfahan Municipality are the main organizers of the gala,” he said.
“We have had several sessions after the outbreak of the coronavirus in Iran since spring discussing the topic of holding a virtual festival, however, when we are talking about an online festival we do not intend to screen films online permanently,” he added.
He said that the films will be screened in the specific time and hour and only those who have registered on the portal of the festival can watch the films online.
“The variety of national and international films is extremely high. The only point is about several feature films in the national and international sections, which we guess might be pirated, but for sure the screenings will be coordinated under the supervision of the producers and the filmmakers,” he explained.
“We have had several meetings with Iranian producers. We have also had meetings with several managers at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (ICT) who will be supporting the festival. Some of the events will be held live in Isfahan, while there are plans to hold virtual workshops,” he said.
“However, this is a decision made by the policy-making council of the festival, and we could not switch off the lights of a festival that is 33 years old.
We know it will be difficult, and we will need more cooperation from the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the Ministry of Education and several other organizations to help hold the festival this year,” he concluded.
“Bille” by Inara Kolmane from Latvia was named best film in the official competition of the 32nd International Film Festival for Children and Youth in the central Iranian city of Isfahan held in Isfahan in August 2019.
“Bille”, which was made based on prominent Latvian writer Vizma Belsevica’s novel of the same name, is about an extraordinary and creative little girl who tries to comprehend the confusing adult world in Europe during the Great Depression in the 1930s. She tries to prove her own value despite the lack of appreciation and love from her mother and family.
Mehdi Jafari from Iran was crowned best director for his acclaimed movie “The 23”, about 23 young Iranian volunteers who were held captive during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.
The movie also received three more honors, including the awards for best film and best screenplay, in the national section of the festival.
source: Tehran Times