Iranian cinema: highlights from past week

Amidst a backdrop of record-breaking debuts and captivating releases, Iranian cinema finds itself enveloped in an atmosphere of anticipation and enthusiasm.

Here is a glimpse into the latest happenings:

1. Iranian cinematographer Reza Sheikhi, known for his work on iFilm series like ‘Injury’ and ‘Little Engineer’, passed away after battling cancer.

Sheikhi also contributed as a cameraman in the movies ‘Salve’ and ‘Canaan’.

2. Iranian actor Amir Jadidi, acclaimed for his role in Asghar Farhadi’s Cannes Grand Prix winner ‘A Hero’, is set to portray Iranian tennis star Mansour Bahrami in a biopic by French director Romuald Boulanger.

The film, titled ‘Mansour’ follows Bahrami's journey from Iran to international tennis fame.

Jadidi, a former professional tennis player who turned actor, will take on the lead role in this upcoming project which has secured world sales rights with France TV Distribution.

3. Iranian director Hossein Mahkam obtained a screening license for his comedy film ‘Red Glasses’, starring Hamed Behdad.

Produced by Morteza Shayesteh, details about the film are still under wraps.

This new venture adds to Mahkam's repertoire, which includes ‘Numbness’, ‘Parole’, and ‘Ahmad Alone’.

4. ‘Texas 3’, directed by Masoud Atyabi and produced by Ebrahim Amerian, received release license.

The comedy, featuring Pejman Jamshidi, Sam Derakhshani, Jaleh Sameti, and Mehdi Hashemi, joins the list of anticipated comedies hitting the screens this year.

5. Director Behrouz Afkhami seeks a license for his film ‘Graph Paper’, a project originally planned five years ago under his direction but now handed over to Seyyed Emad Hosseini.

Based on real events from 1360 Iran and adapted from the memoirs of judicial investigator Nasser Bigdeli, this marks the second collaboration between Afkhami and Hosseini.

6. Hossein Soheilzadeh's directorial debut ‘Nilgun’ unveiled a poster designed by Ehsan Barabadi.

Produced by Iraj Mohammadi, the film is set to hit screens on May 8.

The cast list of the movie includes Mohammadreza Foroutan, Mitra Hajjar, Homayoun Ershadi, Anahita Dargahi, and Sam Derakhshani

7. Filming for ‘The Hidden Moon’, directed by Mohammadreza Yekani, kicked off in Tehran.

‘The Hidden Moon’ revolves around a family's search for their missing five-year-old daughter, unraveling a profound secret.

Starring Linda Kiani, Armin Rahimian, Farzad Hassani, Amin Miri, Siavash Cheraghipour, Bahar Qasemi, and Mohammadreza Sarvestani, the film is produced by Iraj Mohammadi.

Stay tuned for more captivating releases and cinematic adventures in Iranian film arena.

MM/MG