Fajr Int’l filmfest to screen Antti Jokinen’s ‘Helene’

‘Helene’, the latest movie by Finnish director Antti Jokinen, has been set to participate in the Fajr International Film Festival (FIFF) in Iran.

‘Helene’ will be screened at the 38th edition of the FIFF.

The film is about a renowned Finnish painter Helene Schjerfbeck, and her relationship with a younger art critic Einar Reuter.

This year’s edition of the FIFF will also screen some other prominent films such as Italian feature ‘Our Father’ (or Padrenostro), which grabbed an award at the 2020 Venice Film Festival.

Earlier reports also said that Ukrainian film ‘We are Here, We are Close’ by the prominent director Roman Balayan will compete at the Iranian festival.

Roman Balayan is a Ukrainian-Armenian film director who considers himself as the student of Sergei Parajanov, one of the 20th century's greatest masters of cinema.

‘Final Report’, a new film by Oscar-winning Hungarian director Istvan Szabo, will also participate in the 38th FIFF.

This year, the FIFF will open in Tehran on May 26 and run until June 2.

Iranian filmmaker and writer Mohammad-Mehdi Asgarpour, the secretary of the FIFF, said last week that most sections of the upcoming edition of the festival will take place online.

He added that Fajr screenings will take place at a number of outdoor movie theaters this year in an unprecedented move.

The 2020 edition of the FIFF was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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

The 39th edition of the national version of the festival was held on January 31-February 10.

SQ/MG