35th Fajr Film Festival to honor Mohammad Kasebi

The 35th Fajr Film Festival is set to commemorate prominent Iranian actor Mohammad Kasebi.

Screenwriter Farhad Tohidi and cinematographer Toraj Mansouri will be also honored during the prestigious cinematic event.

The festival will also commemorate another cineaste who is yet to be named.

Born in 1951 in the Iranian capital city of Tehran, Mohammad Kasebi graduated in Cinema Acting and Directing from the Faculty of Dramatic Arts at Tehran University.

He began his career with stage acting at the age of 13 years old.

In 1991, he was nominated for the Fajr International Film Festival’s Crystal Simorgh Best Male Actor award for his role in 'Badook' (1991).

Four years later, he received a Crystal Simorgh and Malaysia’s East Asia Film and Television Festival Best Actor Award for his role in 'Father' (1995).

He has appeared in other movies, such as 'Eternal Repentance' (1982), 'The Calls' (1985), 'Boycott' (1985), 'The Crisis' (1987), 'The Refugee' (1993), 'Attack on H-3' (1994), 'The Moon and the Sun' (1995), 'Slivers of the Sun' (1995), 'The World Upside-Down' (1997), 'Saint Mary' (2000), 'Dear, I'm In No Mood' (2001), 'The Foreign Doll' (2005), 'The Wall' (2007), and 'Ominous Seed' (2008).

He has also acted in series, including 'Rana' (1988-1990), 'Sweet Ride' (2005), 'Until Morning' (2006), 'The Spiritualists' (2006), 'Three by Four' (2008), 'Let's Not Turn Around' (2009), 'The Occupiers' (2010), 'Stepmother' (2010), 'Three Shares Each' (2011), and 'Dementia' (2012).

Kasebi is also the founder of the Play Department of National Radio, the founder of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance’s Center for Performance Arts, and the authority in charge of managing the Play Division and Township Affairs of the Artistic Center.

He has some directing experience in 1987 and 1989 as well.

Fajr Festivals are annually held in Iran during the Fajr Decade (literally meaning ten days of dawn) which marks the anniversary of the ten days from the return of Imam Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic, to Iran (February 1) until the victory day of the Islamic Revolution (February 11) in 1979.

Established in 1982, Fajr Film Festival is an event that celebrates cultural exchange, displays creative achievements of highly acclaimed cineastes and pays tribute to local and international films.

Since its establishment, Fajr International Film Festival has played a vital role in the development of the Iranian Cinema.

Supervised by Iran’s Ministry of Culture, the festival hosts veteran directors and new filmmakers from Iran and across the world every year.

HY/HY