Exclusive: Several Prominent Iranian Filmmakers Will Not Participate in Fajr Film Festival

The 42nd Fajr Film Festival in Iran will be held next month, and one of the prominent directors in Iranian cinema stated in an interview with Voice of America that a significant number of independent and well-known filmmakers will not participate in the festival. According to the Fajr International Film Festival website, Masoud Najafi, the festival's public relations manager, announced on Thursday, January 18, that 'no censorship will be applied' by the festival. He added that films eligible for participation in the Fajr Film Festival must have a screening license. This year's festival takes place under circumstances where Iranian cinema has been severely affected by recent nationwide protests and the government's crackdown on dissenting filmmakers, especially female artists who have removed their mandatory hijabs. In a context where the Islamic Republic claims that dissenting figures have no right to operate and must be eliminated, consultations with cultural and artistic figures continue, and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance is attempting to portray the situation in Iran as normal. One prominent Iranian filmmaker, who wished to remain anonymous, told Voice of America that a significant number of independent and well-known filmmakers have preferred not to make films or to postpone their projects due to the current conditions. According to him, some filmmakers who completed filming their works have not finished their films for various technical or logistical reasons to avoid participating in this year's festival. An artistic writer inside Iran also mentioned to Voice of America that due to the negative public perception and various controversies surrounding artists participating in this government event, many filmmakers do not wish to participate in the Fajr Film Festival as they did in the past. For this reason, several filmmakers did not submit their films for the festival and preferred to participate in foreign festivals or only screen their works in cinemas. This writer stated that the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and other government agencies, based on last year's experience, have long offered various packages to encourage filmmakers to produce films and participate in the Fajr Film Festival. According to him, these packages include loans, budgets, equipment and facilities, or promises of screenings in prestigious cinemas across the country, which were particularly appealing to some filmmakers, especially young and unknown figures, resulting in an increase in the number of works produced by this group, though the quality of these works remains uncertain. According to Mojtaba Amini, the festival's secretary, this year 106 films applied to participate in the national section of this cinematic event, which is more than last year. The selection committee ultimately chose 22 films for the 'Simorgh's Desire' section, 12 films for the 'New Look' or 'First Films' section, and four films for the animation section. Meanwhile, one notable aspect of the Fajr Film Festival concerns the composition of its board members. According to news agencies, Dariush Arjmand, Hossein Zandbaf, Rouhollah Sohrabi, Mohammad Reza Abasian, Mohammad Hossein Lotfi, Ahmad Moradpour, and Mohammad Hossein Niroomand are all male members of this selection committee. This issue has faced significant criticism, especially as it reflected in the selection of the chosen works, with all but one of the filmmakers present in this year's festival being male. Furthermore, the list of directors in the main competitive section or Simorgh's Desire indicates that most of them are from the less influential segment of Iranian cinema and are not considered well-known figures. Behrouz Afkhami with 'Morning of Execution,' Masoud Jafari Jozani with 'Heaven of Criminals,' and Soroush Sehat with 'Breakfast with Giraffes' are among the notable filmmakers participating this year. In a situation where there is little awareness about the subject or story of some films present at the festival, several directly address the revolution, the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, and the casualties of this war. The number of works produced with the budget of government organizations and institutions has again increased this year, completely sidelining independent cinema and the private sector. The Cinema Organization of Owj, Farabi Foundation, Art Bureau, Tehran Municipality, and Foundation of Victory Narrative are among the government entities that have fully or jointly participated in the investment of 13-14 films present in the main section of the festival. While many Iranian artists have had fewer activities in recent months and are considered less active, some actors are participating in more than one film at the festival. Amir Hossein Arman, Shahram Haghighatdoost, Ali Nasirian, Parviz PourSami, Pejman Bazghali, Mehran Modiri, Pejman Jamshidi, Bahram Radan, Hadi Hejazifar, and Hootan Shakiba are among the actors present at the festival. Notably, the films '6 AM' directed by Mehran Modiri and 'Pressure Cooker' by Rambod Javan were not selected. Although conflicting reports have emerged about the absence of these films from the festival and the controversies related to Mehran Modiri and Rambod Javan, one selection committee member stated that these films did not meet the necessary quality standards for participation in the festival. While in previous years, various materials related to the Fajr Film Festival were shared by social media users before the festival began, this year, as of the writing of this article, it has faced complete indifference. A review of social media shows that, apart from government supporters, insiders, and some domestic media, most people are not paying attention to the festival and the films of this edition. According to an artistic writer inside Iran, with the continuation of the current situation, the decline in cinema audiences in Iran will continue rapidly, and without the injection of government budgets, this industry will face complete bankruptcy, a fact acknowledged by some officials. He adds that, in any case, in every edition, some filmmakers participate in the festival for various motivations, and some also go to watch the films, but this does not reflect the quality of the festival, the artistic value of the films, or the reception of this government event. The 42nd Fajr Film Festival will be held from February 1 to 11 in Tehran.