Tehran closes Mobarak puppet theater festival

The 21st edition of the Tehran-Mobarak International Puppet Theater Festival has come to an end.

Paying tribute to the kids martyred in Minab and honoring two veteran figures in Iranian puppetry, Adel Bozdoudeh and Homa Jeddikar, the closing ceremony was held at Tehran’s City Theater Complex on Thursday.

The ceremony brought together theater artists and cultural officials to mark the end of the five-day gala, which featured performances for children and young adults, adult audiences, as well as open-air and inclusive theater programs. 

A central theme of the ceremony was remembrance of the children killed at the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab during a US-Israeli military attack. The gala also introduced a special section titled ‘Minab’s Imaginative Chronicle’, using puppetry and theatrical expression to commemorate the kids.

Speaking at the ceremony, secretary of the festival Poupak Azimpour praised the artists whose performances had brought different emotions and perspectives to audiences and expressed hope that children would always have access to imagination and dreams.

The ceremony honored Homa Jeddikar for her lifetime contribution to puppet theater, recognizing her longstanding professional work in the field.

Adel Bozdoudeh, another prominent figure in Iranian puppet theater, was also honored for his decades of work and received a commemorative statuette and certificate.

The non-competitive festival also recognized participating artists and directors in different sections, including performances for children and young adults, adult theater, and open-air and inclusive productions.

The Tehran-Mobarak International Puppet Theater Festival is one of Iran’s established events dedicated to puppetry, bringing together artists and productions that explore the artistic and storytelling possibilities of the form. Beyond entertainment, the festival provides a platform for experimentation, cultural exchange, and engagement with audiences of different ages.