Government restrictions on film community condemned at Iranian festival

Iranian Film Festival in Milad Tower, Tehran

Iranian film community criticized government censorship and expressed solidarity with their persecuted members in its fourteenth festival held last night, at Milad Tower, in Tehran.

“About Elli” got the top spot in the festival with five awards for best film, director, actor, supporting actor and supporting actress.

Houshang Golmakani, film critic and editor-in-chief of “Film” monthly magazine said: “In the past ten years screening has been denied for over 200 films and if we add documentaries and short films to that list, we would realize that a significant part of our films were not screened.”

Fereshteh Taerpour, scriptwriter and producer contended that “today Iranian producers are highly supportive of each other and can function independent from external forces which are not beneficial to them.”

Iranian director, Rasoul Sadreameli also added: “This event goes to show that our solidarity makes us independent from government support.”

Asghar Farhadi, director of “About Elli” upon receiving his award said: “I hope the situation of the country would become so that Golshifteh Farahani and many filmmakers like Amir Naderi and Bahram Beyzai can return and filmmakers like Jafar Panahi can resume their filmmaking.”

Jafar Panahi, prominent Iranian filmmaker was imprisoned in the post-election turmoil for supporting the disputing candidates of the 2009 presidential elections. He was only released on a heavy bail after weeks of hunger strike and was later barred from attending the screening of his film in the Venice Film Festival.

The Iranian film festival was interrupted in the past two years and was finally re-established this year with the dedicated support of the Iranian film community.