Monday, April 20, 2026

Tehran Short Film Festival Selection Disputed by 200 Iranian Filmmakers

Two hundred Iranian filmmakers have written a letter to Abbas Salehi, the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, objecting to the censorship of works selected for the 35th Tehran International Short Film Festival scheduled...

Iranian Filmmakers, Actors Win Major Awards At Festivals In Lugano, Tokyo

By Ahmad Rafat The 10th Lugano Human Rights Film Festival, held from 19 to 29 October, awarded Iranian director Manijeh Hekmat with the Human Rights Author 2023 prize. Iranian filmmakers also shined at the 36th Tokyo...

Jafar Panahi Among Contenders for the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or

The Cannes Film Festival announced its lineup late last week, and said the Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi -- who is not allowed to leave Iran or to make movies -- was a contender for...

The Story of Iran’s Actresses Is Told in New Film; Aghdashloo Attends L.A. Screening

By Fred Parvaneh
Who were the first actresses in the history of Iranian cinema, and who are the female performers of today? A new documentary screened in L.A. last weekend brought answers to those questions - with Hollywood actress Shohreh Aghdashloo present both on screen and off.

At Venice Film Festival, Filmmaker Rasoulof Is On Main Competition Jury

By Ahmad Rafat The 82nd International Venice Film Festival is currently under way on Lido island in Venice. The event concludes on Sept. 6 with the announcement of the Golden Lion, the Silver Lion, and...

Iranian Director Hossein Rajabian to Release His New Film Online for Free

By Azadeh Karimi The Iranian film director and photographer Hossein Rajabian -- who was sentenced along with his brother, the prominent musician Mehdi Rajabian, to six years imprisonment by the Revolutionary Court in summer of...

Director Panahi Ready to Return to Iran After Cannes to Work On Next Film

By Miranda Murray and Michaela Cabrera CANNES, France, May 21 (Reuters) - Although he is now free to travel again after a 15-year ban, Iranian director Jafar Panahi said on Wednesday he would be returning immediately to his...

Iranian-Canadian Director Keshvari Makes First Movie on Coronavirus 

By Ahmad Rafat Iranian-Canadian director Mostafa Keshvari has made the first full-length film about the coronavirus pandemic titled “Corona” with the tagline “Fear is a Virus.” The film is about the interactions between seven people who...

Tough Realities of Life In Iran Are Highlighted in London Festival of Films By...

By Ahmad Rafat The first festival of documentaries, short films, and animation by Iran-based female directors was recently held in London. The two-day festival was co-organized by the Persia Educational Foundation (established in 2016) and...

“Khook – Pig” Challenges Images of Iran at Berlin Film Festival

By Riham Alkousaa BERLIN, Feb 21 (Reuters) - A comedy depicting a movie director being protected by his family from a serial killer challenges stereotypes about Iran and Iranian women at the Berlin Film Festival,...