TEHRAN -- Veteran Iranian director Behruz Gharibpur is to head the jury of the 11th World Puppet Art Festival in Prague from May 27 to June 3 in the city's Old Town Hall.

Gharibpur twice participated as a competitor in the festival.

Nine troupes from Iran have also applied to take part in the event. Gharibpur’s opera puppet show “Rustam and Sohrab” is to be staged during the closing ceremony.

The festival is to feature innovative puppet films with work from Prague filmmaker Jan Svankmajer likely to be included.

Gharibpur attended a meeting in Prague some time ago during which discussions were held about organizing a festival in Dubai to popularize less well-known oriental stories, but no decision was made.

The Iranian director is currently working on the puppet show opera “Macbeth”, which is scheduled to be staged in Tehran in May.