Second Film of 2015 Boycotted by the Art Bureau and Municipality

The feature film "Whale Amber" directed by Saman Moghadam was released in cinemas despite being boycotted by the Art Bureau and the Municipality of Tehran. Previously, these two entities had also boycotted the film "Tales" directed by Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami. The Art Bureau controls about 100 cinema halls across the country, meaning that films boycotted by this organization will not be able to screen in one-third of the country's cinema capacity. According to statistics announced by Hojjatollah Ayubi, the head of the Cinema Organization, in October 2014, there are approximately 320 cinema halls in Iran, with an additional 80 halls expected to be added soon. On the other hand, according to Mohsen Mohammadi, head of the Art Bureau, in April 2014, about 100 halls of the Iranian cinema exhibition belong to the Art Bureau of the Islamic Propagation Organization. However, the Municipality of Tehran manages significantly fewer cinema halls due to the limitation of its powers in the city, although some of the major cinema complexes like Azadi and Mellat belong to this entity. The film "Whale Amber" faced some obstacles for public screening and was subsequently boycotted by the Art Bureau and the Municipality. In this regard, Amir Ghotbi, the distribution manager of Filmiran, which handles the film's distribution in cinemas, stated in an interview with Fars News Agency that "Whale Amber" is deprived of major cinema complexes such as Cinema Azadi, Mellat Complex, and those belonging to the Art Bureau and the Municipality. Previously, the film "Tales," which managed to find a screening opportunity after four years, was also boycotted by the Art Bureau and the Municipality of Tehran. This comes as Hojjatollah Ayubi mentioned earlier in May during the opening of the international section of the Fajr Festival that the renewed boycott of some films by the Art Bureau was merely a rumor and had not been officially announced. The issue of film boycotts by certain cinema-owning entities in Iran began in 2012 when several films with screening permits were prevented from being shown by the Art Bureau and the Municipality of Tehran. In that year, films such as "Without Cause," "Simple Reception," "I Am a Mother," "I Am Sleepy," and "I Am His Wife" were not allowed to be screened in the cinema complexes under the Municipality and those belonging to the Art Bureau. This situation continued in a more limited manner in the first half of 2013, with two films remaining from the 2012 screenings, "Wooden Bridge" and "Snow on the Pines," also included in the boycott list. However, this trend did not continue in the second half of 2013 and 2014, as films that had the opportunity for public screening were shown in all cinemas across Iran and their capacities. Two months into 2015, two films have been boycotted by the Art Bureau and the Municipality, and another film, according to its creators, has also been placed on the Art Bureau's boycott list. "Daughter's House" directed by Shahram Shah Hosseini, which addresses the importance of "virginity" in Iranian society, will not have the opportunity to be screened in the cinemas of the Art Bureau and the Municipality of Tehran if it finds a chance for public screening.