TEHRAN -- A group of representatives of Islamic countries participating at the Tehran International Short Film Festival reached an agreement on Saturday to establish a union of short films.

The director of Iranian Young Cinema Society (IYCS) Nasser Bakideh, the director of Jordan Short Film Festival Hazim Bitar, the director of Golden Vision Studio in Lebanon Hisham Ali Farid, Sudanese Deputy Minister of Culture Abdullah al-Tijani, Pakistani filmmaker Fahd Aleem Sheikh, Professor Nouri Jamesoni from Sfax University of Tunisia, chief representative of Hamas in Lebanon Osama Hamdan, and some other guests attended the meeting.

“We have invited the artists and envoys of the Islamic nations to discuss the setup of the union and a central committee,” Bakideh said.

The union will help have access to an archive rich with Muslim filmmakers’ works, he added. “We can also proceed to initiate an international short film festival or market to respond to non-Muslim press propaganda on Islamic identity.”

He believes that all Islamic states are the origins of civilizations. Elaborating on the financial support, Bakideh said, “We have to seek help from state and private sectors in every country based on its prevailing condition.”