Marzieh Boroumand Resigns; Ali Dehkaradi Becomes CEO of the House of Cinema

A few days after Marzieh Boroumand's resignation from the CEO position of the House of Cinema, Ali Dehkaradi was appointed as the new CEO of this professional organization for Iranian filmmakers. The spokesperson for the House of Cinema announced that in the latest meeting, it was decided to elect one of the board members as the CEO, and by unanimous vote, Ali Dehkaradi, an actor and board member, was chosen. Ali Ismailpour Dehkaradi was born on November 8, 1965, in Shahrekord. He graduated in acting and directing from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Tehran and began his film career in 1991 with the film 'From Karkheh to Rhine' directed by Ebrahim Hatamikia. Previously, Marzieh Boroumand was the CEO of the House of Cinema, who resigned on November 6 after creating controversy with her remarks at the funeral of Dariush Mehrjui and Vahideh Mohammadi Far. At the funeral, Boroumand addressed the officials of the Islamic Republic, saying, 'Be good to us,' and 'We will fight alongside you against Israel,' which immediately led to her being booed by attendees and later facing severe criticism from the public and some colleagues. In response to these criticisms, the then-CEO of the House of Cinema wrote on Instagram: 'I was very sad, confused, and distressed, and I did not have enough focus to speak, but by virtue of my legal position and at the request of my colleagues at the House of Cinema, I went on stage without having prepared a text.' However, a few days later, she resigned from her position and wrote in her resignation letter that during her tenure, she tried to warn cultural officials that 'the path they have taken will only deepen the divides and destroy cinema.' Marzieh Boroumand became the CEO of the House of Cinema in March 2023 after a statement from a number of female artists regarding 'violence and sexual harassment' in the workplace. The House of Cinema, as the community of cinema guilds in Iran, has been active since 1993. Among the main objectives of this organization is to preserve and protect the material and spiritual rights of professionals involved in the production, distribution, and exhibition of cinema art, as well as to create job security, social welfare, and enhance the educational and professional level of those involved in Iranian cinema.