Iran goalkeeper opens Fajr Film Festival

A biopic on Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand has opened the 40th edition of the Fajr Film Festival (FFF).

The gala was opened on Monday at Tehran’s Milad Tower with screening ‘Beyro’, a sports drama on the life story of Alireza Beiranvand, the goalkeeper of Iran’s national football team (Team Melli).

Made by Morteza Aliabbas-Mirzaee, the movie depicts the journey teenager Beiranvand went through from his birthplace Sarab-e Yas, a small village in Lorestan Province, to Tehran in 2011 when he made his debut in Naft Tehran FC.

The director talked about his strong desire to make a sports movie in praise of hope and social responsibility.

In his massive study on several sports personalities, he came to the conclusion that Beiranvand is the most appropriate one.

Mirzaee said “Because, he is a living sports personality… and in addition, he had neither money nor a friend at court, and he does not blame anyone else for his problems”.

The film is competing in the official section of the festival which was opened to the general public today as filmgoers are required to wear masks and provide proof of vaccination.

However, the organizers have not put any limit on theater occupation despite reports from the health authorities warning about the increase of Omicron infections in the country.

A lineup of 22 films, most made by the new generation of Iranian filmmakers, are competing in the main competition section of the FFF.

Presided over by Masoud Naqqashzadeh, the 40th FFF is taking place in Tehran on February 1-11, 2022 in two cultural and competitive sections.

The FFF coincides with the Ten-Day Fajr ceremonies across Iran, marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Since its establishment in 1982, the FFF has played a vital role in the development of Iranian Cinema.

Supervised by Iran’s Ministry of Culture, the festival hosts veteran directors and new filmmakers from Iran every year.

MG/MG