Protests Against Transfer of Home Entertainment Oversight with 'Green Light' from Raisi: 'End of People's Entertainment'

A number of prominent figures in cinema and television in Iran have protested the transfer of oversight of the home entertainment network to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), deeming it a sign of a 'tsunami of artist bans.' In a joint protest statement published on their Instagram pages on Thursday, July 1, these filmmakers described the transfer of oversight as the 'end of home entertainment' and attributed it to the 'green light from Raisi.' They emphasized that the 'end of home entertainment' falling into the hands of IRIB means 'a tsunami of artist bans and the end of people's entertainment.' In a joint poster shared by figures including Parviz Parastui, Mohsen Kiai, Mehrab Qasemkhani, Ali Shadman, and Anahita Afshar, 'home entertainment' is recognized as 'people's entertainment' and a source of income for artists. Veteran actor Parviz Parastui, referring to the satisfaction of Peyman Jabali, head of IRIB, with the organization's Nowruz programs, sarcastically noted the solo presence of 'Mehran Rajabi' in those programs, stating that 'now all artists who have severed ties with television must obtain permission from them to create home entertainment.' He mentioned that he has not appeared on television for '14 years' and will not return to this government media. Reports indicate that oversight of home entertainment has been transferred to IRIB following the approval of the Cultural Revolution Council. Previously, the 'Cinema and Audiovisual Affairs Organization,' more commonly known as the 'National Cinema Organization,' which is a government entity directly under the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, was responsible for 'managing cinematic affairs and home entertainment networks' as the governmental authority. This transfer occurred after state media criticized home network series as examples of 'strange laxity' in this media and attacked them. Despite threats, harassment, and government pressure on artists and filmmakers in Iran, many, especially women, continue to support nationwide protests and criticize the policies of the Islamic Republic in various ways. Kaveh Farnam, a film producer and member of the Independent Filmmakers Association of Iran, previously told the Persian section of Voice of America: 'People are resisting against this government, standing against repression, and engaging in various forms of civil disobedience; artists are not separate from the people. Filmmakers have a duty to stand with the people; in the worst conditions, they do not need to be ahead of the people, but they must be alongside them and accompany the people.'