15th edition of Cinema Verite kicks off in Tehran

15th edition of Cinema Verite kicks off in Tehran

Mohammad Hamidi-Moqadam, director of the festival, addressing the international cinematic event, saying that the joy of watching a movie on the silver screen has been forgotten for over a year due to the spread of the Coronavirus. 

“Last year, we held the festival in online format, and this year, we are holding the festival in accordance with the protocols and with a limited number of guests and audience,” he said.

Commenting on the experience of holding the 14th Cinema Verite online, he added: “We are happy that the Coronavirus couldn’t prevent holding the festival and the documentary family had a different experience and took the lead in displaying the film online last year.”

“The documentary filmmakers took great courage and displayed their films online for two years”, he added. 

He noted that since the eight-year Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, Iranian documentarians have been pioneers and the truth has been recorded by their cameras.

Hamidi-Moqaddam also said: “We should also do our best to make festivals significant venues for works to grow, promote and be displayed.”

“Our view at Documentary and Experimental Film Center is that documentary is the mirror of today’s society and the filmmaker’s mind must move in line with the society,” the director of the festival noted.

He pointed to the restoration of the 1990 documentary “Saffron” directed by Ebrahim Mokhtari by National Film House of Iran, saying that it has been decided that this approach will be continued in the future.

The event is slated to wrap up on Dec 16, 2021.

The Documentary and Experimental Film Center (DEFC) organizes the annual Iran International Documentary Film Festival.

The festival has several categories including National, International, Martyr Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani Award, Martyr Avini Prize, Special Screenings, Portrait, Mirror of a festival, Focus on a country, Panorama, Workshop, and Doc Market.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the major Iranian international festival for documentary films are being held with a limited number of guests and audience at Tehran’s Charsu Cineplex.

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