Resistance fest introduces special award

Iran's 19th Resistance Int'l Theater Festival is to feature a new accolade named in honor of Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas' Political Bureau, according to festival organizers.

Known as the Martyr of Al-Quds Ismail Haniyeh Award, it will recognize excellence in two categories: stage performances and street theater, as reported by Mehr News Agency on Tuesday.

This award aims to celebrate outstanding theatrical works that highlight the genocide faced by the oppressed people of Gaza and the Palestinian resistance.

Artists and theater groups interested in competing in the stage theater category must submit their works by August 21, focusing on themes such as "Genocide of the Oppressed People of Gaza", "Palestinian Resistance Front", and "Martyr of Al-Quds Ismail Haniyeh".

Submissions for the street theater section are also open, with participants encouraged to upload their concepts and ideas as per the call schedule.

The festival, led by Mohammad Kazemtabar, will be held in the fall and winter, welcoming audiences and artists in Tehran and other cities across Iran.

This announcement follows the recent assassination of Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards, who were martyred in Tehran after attending the swearing-in ceremony of Iran's new President, Masoud Pezeshkian.