TEHRAN (IP) -- The Director of the Cinema Organization of Iran, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, has sent a message commemorating the 39th round of Tehran International Short Film Festival, saying that “the Iranian short film cinema has got very promising prospects, and the latest edition of TISFF as the most prominent short film event in the region must be held in a manner that is more congruous and distinct than the previous rounds.”
Mohammad Khazaei, the Cinema Organization of Iran chief, said: “Tehran International Short Film Festival is a stamping ground for young filmmakers inspired to enter this grand and wonderful field via great motives and fresh horizons. This cinema holds the future of this industry, just as it has so far opened new borders to this area, TISFF is proving more influential in the scope of Iranian cinema in these times of rapid progress. Undoubtedly, Iranian cinema has so far leaned on these fledgling and new-found talents to shine bright on a global scale, and also act as the battleground for many of the greatest figures in this industry.”
“Since the area of short films is one of the most important platforms for nurturing human resources and the creation of new content in line with the current needs of society, TISFF’s new edition owes inspiration to the shared approach among COI’s events, i.e. “Ethics, Awareness, and Hope” aptly designed and planned to address “Variety in Genre with an Ethnic Approach”,” he added.
“As the most significant short film event in the region in the post-Covid-19 era, Tehran International Short Film Festival must be held in a manner more congruous and distinct than the previous rounds, and fortunately, it has so far managed to catch the eye of many countries in the region as well as the whole world. The more pronounced and unprecedented attendance of neighboring countries stresses the fact that this festival is going through a new phase on the road to growth and flourishment. At the moment, TISFF has entered a new stage necessitating to understand the needs of cinema and its new requirements in the age of narrative conflicts, thinking up new texts and stories,” Khazaei noted.
“The abundance of stereotypes, an alienation from the true spirit of the times, and obstructions have no place in the short film cinema. This is the realm of phenomena and wonders,” he said.
“Through the incorporation of other cinematic productions, short films must visualize the culture and identity of Islamic Iran on a nationwide scale, and using better qualities, food for thought, and the proper use of visual language, and understanding the emotional and social sensitivities of the age, they can open new doors for the community as well as the world,” the Cinema Organization of Iran chief added.
“In line with the 13th government’s approach and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance’s endeavors, the Cinema Organization of Iran should pay heed to the infrastructural, productive, and educational capacities and capabilities of this country, and focus on the revival of provincial cinema, and support young filmmakers who will assuredly leave a much more nuanced effect on the field of short films,” Khazaei said.
“The short film cinema of Iran has very promising prospects, and now after four decades of revolutionary cinema, we need more than ever to nurture the new generation of cinema and understand the unavoidable requirements of the Islamic revolution’s discourse in the modern age,” the cinema official said.
Tehran International Short Film Festival (TISFF) is one of the most prominent and prestigious short film events all across the world and is Oscar-qualified; the 39th round of this festival presided over by Mehdi Azarpendar and held by the Iranian Youth Cinema Society, heralding the motto of “Variety in Genre” with a focus on the subject of the genre, consists of two competition categories of national and international cinema. With in-person participation, the festival is slated to screen more than 64 shorts including fiction, documentary, animation, and instrumental films made by directors coming from 32 countries all around the globe, besides 99 short films by Iranian filmmakers all across the country. The jury comprises members from Portugal, Turkey, Lithuania, Romania, and Iran, and the international cinema instructors’ summits will be held from October 19-24, 2022, at Mellat Cinema Complex in Tehran.