Persian Gulf Int’l Art & Culture Festival kicks off

The 16th edition of the Persian Gulf International Art & Culture Festival has been launched in south of Iran on Wednesday.

The latest run of the gala was started in Minab and Bandar Abbas counties, as well as Hormuz and Bu Musa islands.

Director General of Culture and Islamic Guidance Office of Hormozgan Province Farkhondeh Jalali, speaking at a press conference, talked about the festival programs and announced that Minab has been selected as one of the main venues for the event for the first time this year.

She also emphasized the importance of preserving the historical identity of the Persian Gulf and noted that the festival is an annual opportunity to revisit the cultural, artistic, and historical capacities of this valuable body of water.

After congratulating the public on the National Persian Gulf Day (April 30), the Director General highlighted the key role of media and artists in safeguarding the national and cultural identity of Iran.

Jalali reported that 277 works were submitted to the Persian Gulf Screenwriting Festival and 184 works were received for the Persian Gulf Book of the Year.

She further announced plans to hold specialized academic and research meetings with domestic and international scholars, focusing on the history, culture, and identity of the Persian Gulf, aiming to enrich academic content in this field.

The festival’s cultural programs involves a night of poetry featuring poets from Hormozgan, followed by events on Hormuz Island, including environmental art installations, poster exhibitions, flag-raising ceremonies, and a fishing boat parade.

The special event for National Persian Gulf Day, including tributes paid to the martyred students and several artistic and cultural works was held in Minab.

Several new specialized festivals are lineup to be added to the Persian Gulf events, including the Persian Gulf Oud Players Festival, the Resistance Photography and Poster Festival, the Monologue Theater Festival, the Coastal Music Festival, and the Environmental Arts Festival.