Three-day Iranian film fest kick-starts today

Nagpur: Bringing a taste of world cinema to the city, Nirzar Cine club has organized a three-day Iranian film festival starting from Friday.Organized in association with Cine-Montage and Chitnavis Centre, the screenings of the films will be held at Mimosa hall. The festival will be inaugurated by Dr Sandhya Nair, principal of Dharampeth Arts and Science College, at 5.30pm on Friday.The screenings will begin at 5.30pm on all three days and two films will be featured back to back. A panel discussion on ‘Understanding Iranian Cinema and Its Development’ will be held in which film enthusiasts and members of cine clubs of the city will participate.The festival has been conceptualized by Cultural House of the Republic of Iran in India and the Federation of Film Societies of India.“It has been held at Mumbai and Pune earlier this year and got tremendous response from film buffs,” said Samir Nafde of Nirzar Cine Club. “These films are appreciated by people who are sensitive to the culture and changes in different societies,” he added.Acclaimed across the world, Iranian films have won over 300 international awards over the last decade and Iranian New Wave is regarded as one of the most significant contemporary art-house movements.“Turkey and Iran are leading in the film world as they make movies very differently,” said Ram Tayade, president of Cine Montage.“Their technique of shooting the film, the subjects they take up and the treatment they give to them is very engrossing and taut,” Tayde said citing names like Majid Majidi, Abbas Kariostami, Jafar Panahi, and Asghar Farhadi who are leading the pack.