TEHRAN -- Iran’s 45th Fajr National Film Festival has opened its call for entries, inviting filmmakers to submit works for its main competition and first-feature category ahead of the event, scheduled to run from February 1 to 11, 2027, in Tehran and other host cities.
The call, published on Thursday by the festival secretariat under the leadership of Alireza Tabesh, sets November 25 as the deadline for registration. Filmmakers can submit their works in the Simorgh Competition and New Look sections through the festival’s official website.
The 45th edition will coincide with the 48th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. According to the organizers, the festival seeks to showcase works representing the humanistic, ethical and hopeful dimensions of Iranian cinema, with particular emphasis on the country’s cultural identity and values.
The main competition, Simorgh, will feature 22 films selected by a screening committee, with four additional titles placed on a reserve list. 
The awards include the Golden Simorgh for Best Film from a National Perspective, the Crystal Simorgh for Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and awards for leading and supporting performances, cinematography, editing, original score, sound, production design, costume design, makeup, practical special effects and visual effects.
A special jury award and an audience award are also included.
The Golden Simorgh for Best Film from a National Perspective, also designated the special award in memory of General Qassem Soleimani, will this year include a special award for the Martyrs of Minab. 
According to the call, it will recognize works commemorating the second 12-day and third 40-day imposed wars by the U.S. and Israel on Iran, subject to a jury recommendation and approval by the festival secretary.
Additional awards for adapted screenplays, animated films and films made using artificial intelligence may also be presented at the jury’s recommendation and with the secretary’s approval.
The New Look section is dedicated to directors making their first feature-length fiction films. It offers two awards: Best Film and Best First-Feature Director. To qualify, filmmakers must be directing their first fiction feature under an authorized production license and must not previously have had a feature film released commercially.

The festival will also include competitions for feature-length documentaries and short fiction films. The documentary section will draw from Iranian films longer than 60 minutes selected for the 20th Iran International Documentary Film Festival, Cinema Vérité. Its Best Documentary Feature award will be presented jointly to the film’s producer and director.
The short-film competition will consider Iranian fiction films under 30 minutes selected for the 43rd Tehran International Short Film Festival and the 38th Isfahan International Film Festival for Children and Youth, as well as qualifying short films produced during the current year and receiving their first public presentation.
Other sections include tributes to distinguished figures in Iranian cinema, the Iranian Cinema Advertising Competition and the National Will Manifestation section. Further details and regulations for the latter two will be announced separately.
Under the eligibility rules, films entering the Simorgh and New Look competitions must hold a production or screening permit from the Cinema Organization of Iran. They must not have been previously reviewed for the festival or screened commercially, on television, on online platforms or at domestic or international film events and markets.
An exception applies to films screened at leading festivals recognized by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) and at the International Film Festival for Children and Youth.
The registration period runs from November 12 to 25, 2026. The submission window for screening copies opens on December 1 and closes on December 16. The festival will announce selected films on January 5, 2027, while producers of selected entries must deliver their final Digital Cinema Package (DCP) copies by January 20.
The 45th Fajr National Film Festival will take place from February 1 to 11, 2027, with screenings in Tehran and other participating cities. Applications can be submitted through the festival’s official website, fajrfilmfestival.com.