National Cinema Day celebrated in Iran

The great family of Iranian cinema has celebrated the National Day of Cinema on September 12.

Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi recently published a message to congratulate the day to the great family of Iranian cinema.

He wrote “During its one hundred years, the Iranian cinema has made extraordinary, splendid and ever-lasting cinematic works that will remain in the memory of those who share a passion for the culture and art of this land forever.”

“The inspiring and significant attendance of Iranian cinema in several global film festivals has delivered a more profound and clear reflection of Iranian culture and arts to the world,” Qasemi added.

He further appreciated all the cast and crew of the grand and hardworking family of Iran’s cinema industry who have developed the place of Iranian nation and arts in the world by the diplomacy of arts and cinema and depicting a truthful understanding of real Iran.

Iran first celebrated the national cinema day on September 12, 2000, by hosting a festival dedicated to the 100th anniversary of cinema industry in Iran.

Beginning of Iranian cinema history dates back to 1900 when the King of Qajar dynasty ordered a royal photographer to buy filmmaking tools to document the Shah’s travel to Europe.

While the first public screening in Iran dates back to 1904, the first feature-length Iranian film was made in 1930.

Since then cinema industry has been developed in the country, so that Abbas Kiarostami’s ‘Taste of Cherry’ won Iran’s first Palme d'Or in 1997 and Asghar Farhadi’s ‘A Separation’ received the country’s first Academy Award in 2012.

MG/MG