Iranian actor make director debut with Evgeny Schwartz “Dragon”

TEHRAN – Iranian stage actor Mehran Aslani will make his directorial debut with Russian writer Evgeny Schwartz’s 1943 play “The Dragon” that mocks Stalin’s government and totalitarianism.

Iranian scholar working on Persian-Ottoman Turkish dictionary

TEHRAN – An Iranian scholar is working on a dictionary that will contain over 15,000 Ottoman Turkish words and phrases originating from the Persian language.

Milani sues E1 Gallery over early closure of her exhibition 

TEHRAN – Filmmaker Tahmineh Milani has filed a lawsuit in a Tehran court against E1 Gallery over closing her painting exhibition early, the Persian service of ISNA reported on Monday.

“Isolation” director wins award at Salento festival 

TEHRAN – Morteza-Ali Abbas-Mirzai has been selected as best director for his drama “Isolation” at the 15th Salento International Film Festival in the Italian town of Tricase.

Iranian films honored at Kazan Muslim cinema festival

TEHRAN – Iranian films “Golnesa” and “Saad’s Olive Tree” have won awards at the 14th Kazan International Festival of Muslim Cinema.

Play on Persian poet Sadi to go on stage in Vancouver

TEHRAN – A play on Persian poet Sadi (C. 1213-1291), famous worldwide for his masterpieces Bustan (The Orchard) and Gulistan (The Rose Garden), will go on stage the Centennial Theatre in North Vancouver, Canada on September 22.

Shorts from Iran compete in Batumi festival

TEHRAN – Iranian movies “Umbra” and “Are You Volleyball?” will be screened in the short competition of the Batumi International Art-House Film Festival (BIAFF) in Georgia.

Voice actor Mehdi Arian-nejad passes away at 79

TEHRAN – The Iranian voice actor Mehdi Arian-nejad who gave the voice to the Aardvark in “The Ant and the Aardvark” series and many other characters in the world animated movies died of heart failure at his home in Tehran on Friday. He was 79.

By Seyyed Mostafa Mousavi Sabet

Iran sends “No Date” to Oscars despite calls for Academy Awards boycott

TEHRAN – Iran has submitted the acclaimed drama “No Date, No Signature” to the 91st Academy Awards in the best foreign language film category despite calls for the Farabi Cinema Foundation to boycott the prestigious cinematic competition over Washington’s withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

“60=1” named best short at Indian festival

TEHRAN – Iranian filmmaker Iman Davari’s film has won the best film award for his “60=1” in the international section of the 3rd Acharya Tulsi Short Film Festival in India, the organizers have announced.

IIDCYA screens films by pioneers of children’s cinema 

TEHRAN – The Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA) has launched a program during which a lineup of films by pioneers of Iranian children’s cinema, including Abbas Kiarostami and Nureddin Zarrinkelk, will be screened.

Seven troupes from Iran to go on stage at Armenia HIGH FEST

TEHRAN – Seven plays by Iranian troupes will be competing in the HIGH FEST International Performing Arts Festival, which will be held in Yerevan, Armenia from September 5 to October 5.

Iranian Artists Forum hosts tazieh performances

TEHRAN – A group from the Kahrobaye Tazieh Center is performing tazieh (Iranian passion play) in the courtyard of the Iranian Artists Forum.

Ali Hatami’s movie on Sattar Khan restored  

TEHRAN – “Sattar Khan”, Ali Hatami’s 1972 movie on Sattar Khan, one of the heroes of Iran’s Constitutional Revolution, has been restored.

Iranian dubber Hossein Erfani dies at 76

TEHRAN – Iranian dubber Hossein Erfani who lent his voice to many leading actors of the world cinema such as Humphrey Bogart, Morgan Freeman, Samuel L. Jackson, Tommy Lee Jones, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone died of lung cancer at a Tehran hospital on Wednesday. He was 76.

Iranian photographers win gold medals at Romania contest 

TEHRAN – Iranian photographers Mohammad-Javad Sadri and Siavash Ejlali have won gold medals at the 7th International Photographic Art Salon, which is organized every year by the FotoClubPro Arad (FCPA) in Romania.

North Korea subject of Reza Amirkhani’s next book  

TEHRAN – The bestselling writer Reza Amirkhani who is famous for novels such as “The Good Smell of Oil” and “Re He Sheen” is writing a travelogue of North Korea.

Iranian troupe to tour Europe with drama on migration 

TEHRAN – An Iranian troupe is scheduled to tour Europe during October with a play on migration titled “The Mediterranean”.

Iranian ensemble Arghavaneh honored at Bulgaria World Folk festival

TEHRAN – The Iranian ensemble Arghavaneh has won the bronze award at the World Folk, an international folk music championship, which took place in the Bulgarian city of Burgas.

“Damascus Time” director Hatamikia meets Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in Iraq

TEHRAN – “Damascus Time” director Ebrahim Hatamikia met Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, a high-ranking commander of the Popular Mobilization Units – Hashd al-Shaabi, in Iraq and both sat to watch the movie about the Daesh terrorists, the Persian service of MNA reported on Monday.

Iranian Oscars born as Cinema Cinema Academy launches annual awards

TEHRAN – The Cinema Cinema Academy, Iran’s first private film academy based in Tehran, has launched the Mehrgiah annual awards, which can be considered to be the Iranian equivalent of the Oscars.

Art and culture of Bushehr under spotlight in Mumbai 

TEHRAN – The Indian city of Mumbai is playing host to an Iranian festival presenting art and cultural performances from the southern Iranian city of Bushehr under the title “From Bushehr to Mumbai”.

Plays to narrate tragedy of Ashura in Iranian cities 

TEHRAN – A lineup of religious theatrical performances will go on stage across Iran in the coming weeks to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of the third Imam of the Shia, Imam Hussein (AS), and his companions.

Tahmineh Milani cancels exhibition following plagiarism allegation

TEHRAN – Filmmaker Tahmiand Milani cancelled her first painting exhibition in Tehran on Sunday following an allegation of plagiarism from a painting by Russian illustrator Jenny Meilihove.

Mohammad-Ali Movahhed’s book on Persian Gulf published in France 

TEHRAN – “Tant De Doute Pour Une Evidence”, a book written by Iranian scholar Mohammad-Ali Movahhed on the Persian Gulf, has recently been published in France, the London-based publisher Candle and Fog has announced.

French Iranologist Gilbert Lazard dies at 98 

TEHRAN – Persian media reported on Saturday that French linguist and Iranologist Gilbert Lazard, famous for his lifetime endeavors and research on various Iranian languages and translations of classical Persian poetry, died in Paris on Friday.  He was 98.

Mohammad Foqani named Iran’s Still Photographer of the Year

TEHRAN – Mohammad Foqani has been selected as Iran’s Still Photographer of the Year for his collaboration on Ahmadreza Motamedi’s psychological thriller “The Misunderstanding”.

Iranian actor at Venice sends anti-war message to Trump

TEHRAN – Iranian actor Vahid Raad used a photocall for his latest movie “As I Lay Dying” at the 75th Venice International Film Festival on Thursday to convey an anti-war message to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Avant-garde artist Mohsen Vaziri-Moqaddam dies at 94

TEHRAN – Mohsen Vaziri-Moqaddam, one of the most celebrated figures from the first generation of the Iranian modern art movement, died at his home in Rome, Italy on Friday morning. He was 94.

France’s “Alone” crowned best at Isfahan film festival

TEHRAN – French director David Moreau’s movie “Alone” has won the award for best in the international competition of the 31st International Film Festival for Children and Youth in Iran.