LONDON, January 13(IranMania) - The
late Iranian filmmakers Rasul Mollaqolipur and Ali Hatami will be honored
during a ceremony at The 26th Fajr International Film Festival which is to be
held from February 1 until 11 in Tehran, MNA reported.
Scenes from their most celebrated
films will be screened during the commemoration ceremony.
Mollaqolipur is highly regarded as a
filmmaker of the Sacred Defense genre as his productions highlight the
1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war. ?The Refugee?, ?Journey to Chazzabeh?, ?Help Me?, ?The
Burnt Generation? and ?The Paternal Farm? and the much acclaimed film ?M for
Mother? are among his credits.
Ali Hatami?s films focused on Iranian tradition
and culture. Acclaimed films ?Mother?, ?Desiderium?, ?The Suitor? and
?Kamalolmolk? are among his credits.
LONDON, January 13(IranMania) -
Berlin International Film Festival?s chief director Dieter Kosslick has invited
Majid Majidi?s ?Song of Sparrows? to compete in the gala, MNA reported.
In a letter addressed to Majidi,
Kosslick expressed his appreciation over the submission of Majidi?s latest
movie to the secretariat of the event, and said that the selection board had
been very impressed with the movie.
The letter contained a formal
invitation from the organizers for the movie to compete in the festival and
asked Majidi to inform them about his decision.
?We would be happy to receive you
and the crew on the red carpet of the Berlin Film Festival (February 7 to 17)
this year,? reads part of the letter.
Majidi?s project manager, Javad
Noruzbeigi told ISNA that Majidi wants to screen the movie at the Fajr Film
Festival first, before it finds its way to foreign festivals.
?Fortunately the 26th Fajr festival
runs from February 1 to 10, which is before the Berlin schedule, and we will do
our best to make sure that ?Song of Sparrows? enters both galas,? Noruzbeigi
added.
?Song of Sparrows? features the
story of Karim who is a worker at an ostrich farm in the suburbs of the town of
Shahriyar. He is quite content with his life and his small house, but he is
dismissed from his job due to a series of events. He is forced to leave his
hometown and move to the city for work, but several incidents occur which
greatly affect his life.
The screenplay is written by Majidi
and Mehran Kashani.
Cinematographer Turaj Mansuri, sound
recorder Yadollah Najafi, make-up artist Saeid Malekan, stage and costume
designer Asghar Nejad-Imani and photographer Ali Tabrizi are amongst the film?s
crew.
Majid?s other credits include ?The Father?, ?The
Children of Heaven?, ?The Color of Paradise?, ?Baran? and ?The Weeping Willow?
Iranian authorities lifted the need for
visa for citizens of Developing 8 Countries Organization who want to visit Iran
for tourism stays.
Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, Vice President in charge of Iran's Cultural Heritage,
Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHTO), announced Iran has lifted the
need for visa for 15-day stays in the country for D-8 citizens.
"Passengers of eight developing Islamic countries can obtain their visa on
arrival for tourist stays, provided they are holding valid travel documents,"
Mashaei said.
"In order to ease tourists' travel to Iran, the program offers visa-free
travels but seeks passenger passport and data," he added.
He called on other member states of the group to ease the condition for the
Islamic nations' tour.
The tourism ministers of the D-8 group of coutries, comprising Iran, Egypt,
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria and Turkey, discussed
ecotourism, infrastructure and investment in tourism industry in a 4-day
meeting from May 12 to 16 in Tehran.
A meeting of tourism ministers from the
Developing 8 countries (D8) has kicked off at the Saadabad Cultural Complex in
Tehran.
The event was attended by head of Iran Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and
Tourism Organization (ICHHTO), Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, and the D8 tourism
ministers.
The ministers are to discuss ecotourism, infrastructure and investment in
tourism industry.
The Developing 8 consists of Iran, Turkey, Malaysia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Egypt,
Bangladesh and Indonesia. The group was established in Istanbul, Turkey on June
15, 1997.
The objectives of D8 are to improve the position of developing countries in the
world economy, diversify and create new opportunities in trade relations,
enhance participation in decision-making at the international level, and
provide better standards of living.
Indonesia currently chairs the D8. Malaysia will take over the rotating
presidency next year.
The 4-day meeting of the tourism
ministers from member states of the Developing 8 Countries Organization has
opened in Tehran.
The tourism ministers of eight developing Islamic countries will discuss
ecotourism, infrastructure and investment in tourism industry.
The eight developing Islamic countries of Iran, Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria and Turkey are to present a variety of strategies
and approaches to boosting their countries' tourism sector.
The meeting is to run form May 12 to 16 in the Irainan capital of Tehran and
the central Iranian city of Isfahan, with an ecotourism exhibit scheduled to be
held on the sidelines of the meeting.
