TEHRAN (Mehr News Agency) -- The Iranian film-star Parviz Parastouei who began his career in short films believes that the short film genre is where he belongs.

“This kind of cinema says many things in a short time; it retains in itself a world of feelings, love and energy; I truly believe that short film cinema is my field,” he said.

“Although expressing thoughts in a short time is very difficult, the message of a short film can be rich and deep,” Parastouei added.

“When the creative process involves love and faith, the work becomes eternal; short films in Iran are made without any material expectation, so they have more of an impact,” Parastouei argued. Referring to the 8th International Short Film Festival now underway in Tehran he said, “The International Fajr Film Festival used to pay attention to short films but sadly now the festival does not take these films so much into account.”

He noted that many Iranian filmmakers owe a lot to short film cinema. “Short filmmakers should not be held back by the present emphasis on feature-length film, nor surrender to commercial cinema,” said Parastouri, adding, “Short film cinema can inspire feature-length films.” SMM/DFM/IS END MNA