————————————————-
Post-revolutionary cinema
————————————————-
Post-revolutionary Iranian cinema has been celebrated in many international forums and festivals for its distinct style, themes, authors, idea of nationhood, and cultural references. Starting With Viva… by Khosrow Sinai and followed by many excellent Iranian directors who emerged in the last few decades, such as Abbas Kiarostami and Jafar Panahi. Kiarostami, who some critics regard as one of the few great directors in the history of cinema,[12] planted Iran firmly on the map of world cinema when he won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for Taste of Cherry in 1997.
————————————————-
The continuous presence of Iranian films in prestigious international festivals such as Cannes, the Venice Film Festival, and Berlin Film Festival attracted world attention to Iranian masterpieces ., as Iranian films have repeatedly been nominated for or won prestigious prizes at those festivals. In 2006, six Iranian films, with six different styles, represented Iranian cinema at the Berlin Film Festival, and critics considered this a remarkable event in the history of Iranian cinema.
The Essay on Toronto Film Festival
TIFF gratefully acknowledges the continuing support of the public sector. Their contributions allow them to foster a more successful Canadian film industry, stimulate tourism activity in Ontario, and promote the widest possible enjoyment of Canadian cinema throughout the regions of Canada. Federal sponsors include Telefilm Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, and the Canadian Government. ...
————————————————-
An important step was taken in 1998 when the Iranian government began to fund ethnic cinema. Since then Iranian Kurdistan has seen the rise of numerous filmmakers. In particular the film industry got momentum in Iranian Kurdistan and the region has seen the emergence of filmmakers such as Bahman Ghobadi, actually the entire Ghobadi family, Ali-Reza Rezai, Khosret Ressoul and many other younger filmmakers
————————————————-
There is also movie-documentary production, often critical of the society in the name of the islamic revolution ideal, like the films directed by Mohammedreza Eslamloo.
————————————————-
We must mention here “Tranquility in the Presence of Others” (Aramesh dar Hozur Deegaran, 1973) directed by Nasser Taghvai and rated by some critics as the best Iranian film of all timesContemporary Iranian cinema
Today, the Iranian box office is dominated by commercial Iranian films. Foreign films are not commonly shown in movie theaters as part of a ban on films originating from the West. But heavily censored versions of classic and contemporary Hollywood productions are shown on state television. Uncensored versions are easily available in black markets. Iranian art films are often not screened officially, and are viewable via illegal DVDs which are easily available. Nevertheless, some of these acclaimed films were screened in Iran and had box office success. Examples include Rassul Sadr Ameli’s “I’m Taraneh, 15”, Rakhshan Bani-Etemad’s “Under the skin of the City”, Bahman Ghobadi’s “Marooned in Iraq” and Manijeh Hekmat’s “Women’s Prison”.[17]
commercial cinema in Iran
The internationally award-winning cinema of Iran is quite different from the domestically oriented films. The latter caters to an entirely different audience, which is largely under the age of 25. This commercial Iranian cinema genre is largely unknown in the West, as the films are targeted at local audiences. There are two categories of this type of film:
The Term Paper on History Of Malayalam Cinema
Even much before the arrival of cinema, the people of Kerala were familiar with moving images on the screen through the traditional art form ‘tholpavakkuthu’ (Puppet Dance). Usually exhibited at festivals of village temples, ‘tholpavakkuthu’ uses puppets made of leather with flexible joints. These joints are moved using sticks and the shadow of these moving puppets are captured on a screen using a ...
* Films about the victory of the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the ensuing Iran–Iraq war, filled with strong religious and national motifs.
* Formulaic films starring popular actors. With 130 Iranian films looking for a screening each year, cinema managers tend to prefer crowd-pleasing comedies, romantic melodramas, and family comedies over the other genres.[18] The Lizard, Outsiders, Aquarium, Ceasefire, M like Mother, Glass Agency, Charlatan and Killing Mad Dogs were among the post-revolutionary films that gained the highest box office records.[19][20][21] These films have similarities with Indian popular cinema and with Hollywood (but also have distinct differences).
They are chaste, in that the hero and his love interest do not so much kiss but rather walk off into the metaphorical sunset as the end credits roll. The appeal of these films is the escapism offered by their “western” attributes and their “non-Iranian” identity
* For many years, the most visible face of Iranian commercial cinema was Mohammad Ali Fardin, who starred in a number of popular successful films. In the more conservative social climate of Iran after the Iranian Revolution of 1979, however, he came to be considered an embarrassment to Iranian national identity and his films — which depicted romance, alcohol, scantily-dressed women, night-clubs, and a lifestyle now condemned by the Islamic government — were banned. Although this would effectively prevent Fardin from making films for the remainder of his life, the ban did little to diminish his broad popularity with Iranian moviegoers: His funeral in Tehran was attended by 20,000 mourners. Before Fardin, one could argue, Iran simply did not have a commercial cinema.
During the war years, crime thrillers such as Senator (1983), The Eagles (1984), Boycott (1985), The Tenants (1986), and Kani Manga (1987) occupied the first position on the sales charts.
The Essay on A Film Adaptation of One Hundred Years of Solitude
We have reached an age, where most things are done through TV and cinema. It is unfortunate many people do not read many books anymore. People would rather sit for a few hours in a dark room eating popcorn and watching a screen. In my opinion it is necessary for more books to be adapted in films. Some people might argue whether a great book such as Madame Bovary and The Great Gatsby can shine in ...
Officially, the Iranian government disdains American cinema: in 2007 President Ahmadinejad’s media adviser told the Fars news agency, “We believe that the American cinema system is devoid of all culture and art and is only used as a device.” However, numerous western commercial films such as Edison, The Illusionist, Passion of the Christ, House of Sand and Fog, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, The Others and The Aviator have been screened in Iranian cinemas and Iranian film festivals since the revolution. Despite great pride in the country’s more than 100-year film history, Western cinema is enormously popular among Iran’s young people, and practically every recent Hollywood film is available on CD, DVD, or video.[17][26][27][28] Conservative-controlled state television has also broadcast more Western movies—partly because millions of Iranians have been switching to the use of banned satellite television equipment.[28]
There is no particular love of Arab cinema but Indian cinema is relatively popular among the Iranian masses – but in the last eight years, there has not been a single film from these countries screened in Iran. 6 to 8 Hollywood films make it to Iranian movie theaters each yearContemporary Iranian cinema
Today, the Iranian box office is dominated by commercial Iranian films. Foreign films are not commonly shown in movie theaters as part of a ban on films originating from the West. But heavily censored versions of classic and contemporary Hollywood productions are shown on state television. Uncensored versions are easily available in black markets. Iranian art films are often not screened officially, and are viewable via illegal DVDs which are easily available. Nevertheless, some of these acclaimed films were screened in Iran and had box office success. Examples include Rassul Sadr Ameli’s “I’m Taraneh, 15”, Rakhshan Bani-Etemad’s “Under the skin of the City”, Bahman Ghobadi’s “Marooned in Iraq” and Manijeh Hekmat’s “Women’s Prison”.[17]
[edit]Commercial cinema in Iran
The internationally award-winning cinema of Iran is quite different from the domestically oriented films. The latter caters to an entirely different audience, which is largely under the age of 25. This commercial Iranian cinema genre is largely unknown in the West, as the films are targeted at local audiences. There are two categories of this type of film:
The Term Paper on Easy Cinema
The cinema industry is primarily engaged in operating movie theatres and/or exhibiting videos at film festivals. The major products and services in this industry in the UK are single screen theatres, multiplex theatres (8 to 15 screens) and megaplex theatres (more than 16 screens). Cinemas in the UK typically operated at 20% capacity. Admissions in 2001 were at the highest level in decades – 156 ...
Films about the victory of the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the ensuing Iran–Iraq war, filled with strong religious and national motifs.
Formulaic films starring popular actors. With 130 Iranian films looking for a screening each year, cinema managers tend to prefer crowd-pleasing comedies, romantic melodramas, and family comedies over the other genres.[18] The Lizard, Outsiders, Aquarium, Ceasefire, M like Mother, Glass Agency, Charlatan and Killing Mad Dogs were among the post-revolutionary films that gained the highest box office records.[19][20][21] These films have similarities with Indian popular cinema and with Hollywood (but also have distinct differences).
They are chaste, in that the hero and his love interest do not so much kiss but rather walk off into the metaphorical sunset as the end credits roll. The appeal of these films is the escapism offered by their “western” attributes and their “non-Iranian” identity.[citation needed]
For many years, the most visible face of Iranian commercial cinema was Mohammad Ali Fardin, who starred in a number of popular successful films. In the more conservative social climate of Iran after the Iranian Revolution of 1979, however, he came to be considered an embarrassment to Iranian national identity and his films — which depicted romance, alcohol, scantily-dressed women, night-clubs, and a lifestyle now condemned by the Islamic government — were banned. Although this would effectively prevent Fardin from making films for the remainder of his life, the ban did little to diminish his broad popularity with Iranian moviegoers: His funeral in Tehran was attended by 20,000 mourners.[22] Before Fardin, one could argue, Iran simply did not have a commercial cinema.[23]
During the war years, crime thrillers such as Senator (1983), The Eagles (1984), Boycott (1985), The Tenants (1986), and Kani Manga (1987) occupied the first position on the sales charts.[24]
Officially, the Iranian government disdains American cinema: in 2007 President Ahmadinejad’s media adviser told the Fars news agency, “We believe that the American cinema system is devoid of all culture and art and is only used as a device.”[25] However, numerous western commercial films such as Edison, The Illusionist, Passion of the Christ, House of Sand and Fog, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, The Others and The Aviator have been screened in Iranian cinemas and Iranian film festivals since the revolution. Despite great pride in the country’s more than 100-year film history, Western cinema is enormously popular among Iran’s young people, and practically every recent Hollywood film is available on CD, DVD, or video.[17][26][27][28] Conservative-controlled state television has also broadcast more Western movies—partly because millions of Iranians have been switching to the use of banned satellite television equipment.[28]
The Essay on Film and Popular Cinema
After reading this week’s assignment and researching different types of film and popular cinema, I have realized some of the differences between the two. I always thought they were the same thing but found that to be far from the truth. Film is a way of putting art into motion. I viewed several pieces on different websites, in particular, on YouTube. I watched one called White Noise. It had no ...
There is no particular love of Arab cinema but Indian cinema is relatively popular among the Iranian masses – but in the last eight years, there has not been a single film from these countries screened in Iran. 6 to 8 Hollywood films make it to Iranian movie theaters each year.
[
Iranian international film festivals
Film festivals have a rather long history in Iran that goes back to 1950s. The first Tehran International Film Festival opened in April 1973. Although the festival never reached the level of Cannes and Venice, however, it managed to become well known as a class A festival. It was a highly reputable festival and many well-known filmmakers took part in it with their films. Great filmmakers such as Francesco Rosi, Grigori Kozintsev, Alain Tanner, Pietro Germi, Nikita Mikhalkov, Krzysztof Zanussi, Martin Ritt won the festival’s awards.[42]
Fajr Film Festival
The Fajr Film Festival has taken place since 1983. It was intended to be as magnificent and spectacular as possible from its very onset. It had a background as powerful as that of the Tehran International Film Festival and wanted to remain on the same track. Although the Fajr Film Festival is not yet classed among the top film festivals, it has been successful in making policies and setting examples for the future of Iranian cinema.[42] In its early years it had a competition section for professional as well as amateur film (8 mm, 16 mm).
The Essay on Film Festival
Houston, TX (Mar. 18, 2009) —The 2009 WorldFest-Houston proudly presents Food Fight as part of its award-winning documentary side bar. Food Fight is a fascinating look at how American agricultural policy and food production developed in the 20th century, igniting a California food movement that sparked a tasty, counter-revolution. The documentary dishes up topics including sustainable produce, ...
Since 1990, there has been an international along with the national competition. The festival also features a competition for advertisement items like posters, stills and trailers. In 2005, the festival added competitions for Asian as well as spiritual films. The top prize is called Crystal Simorgh.[43]
Isfahan International Festival of Films for Children & Young Adults
This festival has taken place since 1985. In its first three years, it was part of the Fajr Film Festival. From 1988 to 1989, it was located in Tehran and in 1996, it was held in Kerman. The festival features international and national film and video competitions. The top prize is called Golden Butterfly.
Iran Cinema Celebration Awards
On September 12, the national day of Iranian cinema, a celebration is held annually by the House of Cinema. In the 2006 event, Akira Kurosawa was honored.
2006 Best film: Crossroad directed by Abolhassan Davudi.
2005 Best film: So Close, So Far directed and produced by Reza Mir-Karimi.
[edit]International recognition of Iranian cinema
Here is a list of Grand prizes awarded to Iranian cinema by the most prestigious film festivals:[
Cannes
First presence of Iranian cinema in Cannes dates back to 1991 when in the alleys of love by Khosrow Sinai and then 1992 when Life and nothing more by Abbas Kiarostami represented Iran in the festival.
Golden Palm: Abbas Kiarostami (1997)
Jury prize: Marjane Satrapi (2007)
Jury prize: Samira Makhmalbaf (2000 & 2003)
Golden Camera: Mohsen Amiryoussefi (2004), Hassan Yektapanah (2000), Bahman Ghobadi (2000), Jafar Panahi (1995)
Venice
Golden Lion: Jafar Panahi (2000)
Silver Lion: Abolfazl Jalili (for best direction-1995), Abbas Kiarostami (Grand Jury Prize 1999), Babak Payami (Best Director-2001)
[edit]Berlinale
Golden Bear: Asghar Farhadi (2011)
Silver Bear: Reza Naji (2008), Jafar Panahi (2006), Parviz Kimiavi (1976), Sohrab Shahid Saless (1974), Asghar Farhadi (2009) [Shirin Neshat] (2009)
FIPRESCI
Grand Prize: Jafar Panahi (2001)
FIPRESCI prize: Rakhshan Bani-Etemad (1995 & 1998), Abbas Kiarostami (1999), Marzieh Meshkini (2000), Mohsen Makhmalbaf (2001), Jamshid Usmonov (2002), Atiq Rahimi & Kambuzia Partovi (2004), Ramin Bahrani(2005), Kambuzia Partovi (2006), Bahman Ghobadi (2000 & 2006).
[edit]Lifelong achievement awards
Abbas Kiarostami: Prix Roberto Rossellini, Cannes Festival (1992)
Abbas Kiarostami: François Truffaut Award (1992)
Abbas Kiarostami: Honorary doctorate, École Normale Supérieure (2003)
Abbas Kiarostami: Federico Fellini Gold Medal, UNESCO (1997)
Behrouz Gharibpour: The Hans Christian Andersen Award (2002)
Abbas Kiarostami: Prix Henri Langlois Prize (2006)
Mohsen Makhmalbaf: Parajanov Award for outstanding Artistic contribution to the world cinema (2006)
Mohsen Makhmalbaf: Federico Fellini Gold Medal, UNESCO (2001)
Rakhshan Bani-Etemad: Prince Claus Awards (1998)
Ezatolah Entezami: UNESCO award (2006)
Farroukh Qasim: Prince Claus Awards (2004)
Behrooz Vossoughi, San Francisco International Film Festival “The Unvanquished” honoree (2006)
Jafar Panahi: Podo Award, at Valdivia Film Festival (2007)
[edit]The Annual Academy Awards (Oscar)
1997: Habib Zargarpour (Best Visual Effects Nominations for; Twister)
1997: Darius Khondji (Best Cinematography Nomination for; Evita)
1997: Hossein Amini (Nomination) for The Wings of the Dove
1998: Zahra Dowlatabadi (Nomination)
1999: Majid Majidi (Best Foreign Film Nomination, Children of Heaven)
2001: Habib Zargarpour (Best Visual Effects for; The Perfect Storm)
2004: Shohreh Aghdashloo (Best Supporting Actress Nomination, House of Sand and Fog)
2007: Kami Asgar, (Nomination) Best Sound Editing on Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto.
2008: Marjane Satrapi (Nomination) for her animation, Persepolis.
best films of Iranian cinema
Since 1988 Iranian leading film journal, Film, has conducted a poll for selecting best films in the history of Iranian cinema (and world cinema as well).
The last poll was held in September 2009 and 93 leading Iranian film critics selected their all time favorites. According to this poll, best films of Iranian cinema are:
1 The Deer (1974) Masoud Kimiai
2 Bashu, the Little Stranger (1989) Bahram Beizai
3 Desiderium (1978) Ali Hatami
4 About Elly (2009) Asghar Farhadi
5 Hamoun (1990) Dariush Mehrjui
6 Strait (1973) Amir Naderi
7 The Cow (1969) Dariush Mehrjui
8 Captain Khorshid (1987) Naser Taghvai
9 Once Upon a Time, Cinema (1992) Mohsen Makhmalbaf
10 Tranquility in the Presence of Others (1973) Naser Taghvai
10 Kandu (1975) Fereydun Gole
