Week-long Iranian Film Festival starts at PNCA

ISLAMABAD, Dec 11 (APP):A week-long Iranian Film Festival has started here at Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) by organizing screening of films.
The film festival was inaugurated by Minister State for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Mrs. Marriyum Aurangzeb. Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan Mehdi Hassan Hunar Dost, Cultural Counselor of Iran Embassy and Director General PNCA Syed Jamal Shah and Incharge Film Division PNCA Aijaz Gul was also present on the occasion.

The film festival was organized by Cultural Consulate Islamic Republic of Iran in collaboration with Cultural Center of Islamic Republic of Iran in Rawalpindi, PNCA and National Heritage of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa).

In his welcome remarks, Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan Mehdi Hassan Hunar Dost welcomed the participants in the week-long film festival. He expressed the hope that this film festival provides an opportunity to the enthusiasts of productive and constructive films in Pakistan to closely observe and enjoy the superior technique and content of Iranian film.

Cultural Counselor Iran Embassy Shahaboddin Daraei said that Cinema is a phenomenon associated with life and social progress of human beings and since its audience is public, it is in line with their social, cultural, economic and political changes. He said that Cinema in Iran has always been evolving and transitioning with social changes. Today Iran’s Cinema history can be divided into two parts 1- pre-revolution Cinema and 2-Post-Revolution Cinema.

He appreciated PNCA, Lok Virsa and Asian Peace Film Institute for their cooperation in making this event possible.

The opening ceremony of three-day festival was also attended by a large number of people from different walks of life.

The films will be shown at Pakistan National Council of Arts from December 11-12 and at Lok Virsa from December 13-15.

During the festival five famous Iranian movies, ‘So Far So Close’, ‘Bodyguard’, ‘A Cube of Sugar’, ‘Crazy Castle’ and ‘Where are my shoes?’ are to be shown.

Iranian cinema has been one of the main enthralling and appealing cinema industry in the world and has gained special status among the world’s cinema industry with its unique and innovative film directing techniques.

Iranian films are regularly shown in different Pakistani cities in which people show keen interest.

Last year an Iranian film festival was held in Rawalpindi city while in January this year another Iranian film festival was held in eastern city of Lahore and both events attracted a good number of people.