Record-breaking month for Iranian cinema: 4M viewers in November

In a historic achievement, Iranian cinema has recorded its most successful and popular month after the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing nearly four million viewers and amassing significant box office revenues.

November witnessed sales of some 2,054 billion rials (approximately $2.93 million) through 86,241 screenings, marking a remarkable recovery for the industry.

Compared to October, November's sales saw a 37% increase, while audience numbers surged by 46%.

The first half of the month was particularly vibrant, although the second half experienced a slight slowdown due to colder weather.

Diverse genres, including comedy, children’s cinema, social dramas, and resistance-themed films, contributed to this success. Several standout films drove the month’s box office triumph:

• ‘Pressure Cooker’, directed by Rambod Javan, emerged as the top performer, drawing 1.83 million viewers and generating sales of 976 billion rials (approximately $1.39 million).
• ‘Breakfast with the Giraffe’, directed by Soroush Sehhat, attracted more than 1.06 million viewers, earning 596 billion rials (approximately $852,000) since its release on October 30.
• The animated film ‘Sheepy, the Hero’ delighted more than 607,000 viewers, earning some 231 billion rials (approximately $330,000).
• The social drama ‘Kianoush's Garden’, also released on October 30, achieved sales of about 53 billion rials (approximately $76,400) from more than 137,000 viewers.
• ‘Freeloader’, a musical comedy, attracted more than 75,000 viewers and earned some 38 billion rials (approximately $54,800).
• Despite being released online on November 13, ‘Texas 3’ maintained its momentum, drawing  more than 59,600 viewers and earning about 33 billion rials (approximately $47,600) in its fifth month of screenings.