Iran to review Armenian cinema

Some Iranian cities have been scheduled to host screening sessions for a number of movies by filmmakers from the Republic of Armenia.

The Armenian Film Week will be held on July 23-29 in the Iranian cities of Tehran, Mashhad, and Shiraz.

The organizers hold a press release on Monday, announcing that the venues for the week are Tehran’s Iranian Artists Forum, Mashhad’s Hoveizeh Cinema Complex, and Shiraz’s Golestan Cinema Complex.

Two Armenian filmmakers, whose names have not been released yet, will take part at the program.

Iran’s Art and Experience Cinema has organized the film week in collaboration with the Embassy of Armenia in Tehran.

The cinema of Armenia was born on April 16, 1923, when the Armenian State Committee on Cinema was established by a government decree.

The first Armenian film with Armenian subject titled ‘Haykakan Sinema’ was produced in 1912 in Cairo by Armenian-Egyptian publisher Vahan Zartarian.

In March 1924, the first Armenian film studio was established in Yerevan, starting with ‘Soviet Armenia’ which has been one of the first Armenian documentaries.

Hamo Beknazarian directed the first Armenian silent black-and-white film ‘Namus’ in 1925 and Hamo Beknazarian directed the first Armenian sounded film ‘Pepo’ in 1935.

According to a recent (non-confirmed) report, the modern Armenian cinema annually produces two or three features, about eight short films and some 15 documentaries.

MG/MG