Iran Cinema Celebration gets canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic

The 22nd edition of the Iran Cinema Celebration has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

An affiliate with the Iranian House of Cinema announced at a presser on Saturday that the gala is scrapped until further notice due to the financial considerations.  

Ramin Heidari-Farouqi said, “Based on the current situation of the country battling the coronavirus pandemic, the House of Cinema’s Board of Directors believes that the house is not ready to pay for the celebration and prefers allocating the budget for helping its members with their the financial problems.”

He also said that the condition is not predictable and it seems, even with observing social distancing and health protocols, there cannot be a celebration similar to the ones in the previous years.

“Our cinema requires support; it requires happiness. The cinema needs news and attention, and we must strive to support cinema. We shall make our best endeavors to come across an inventive method and will not let this great cinematic event be forgotten,” he said.

“However, we are attempting to come up with a new method for the voting system as well as holding a symbolic celebration with less expenses,” he concluded.

This is not the first cancelation of the Iranian cinema celebration. The organizers announced the winners of the gala without holding any party due to the economic situation of the country in 2018.

During a meeting, the organizers of the gala decided to vote and announce the winners online.

The Iranian House of Cinema organizes the celebration annually to commemorate Iran’s National Day of Cinema on September 12.

MG/AG