INLA director Ash’ari quits

TEHRAN -- Ali-Akbar Ash’ari vacated his position as director of Iran National Library and Archive (INLA), a post to which he had not been appointed officially but occupied during the past year.
He left his post after a meeting he held with his deputies and colleagues at the INLA venue on January 15.
He previously told the Persian service of MNA that he had asked President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to assign someone else several times and stressed that he did not have a political conflict with Ahmadinejad.
Consequently, Hadi Saeedi-Kiasari was appointed as the INLA director this morning by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
“However, I have not resigned from the position since I was not appointed to this job,” Ash’ari previously told MNA.
Iraqi culture minister invited to Iran
TEHRAN -- Iran’s ambassador to Iraq Hassan Danaiifar has invited Iraq’s Minister of Culture Saadoun al-Dulaimi to Iran.
“During a meeting we had last week we talked about artistic exchanges in different fields including theater, cinema, music and literature,” Danaiifar told the Persian service of MNA.
He said that he was eager to travel Iran to review the cultural affinities between two countries.
Iran’s Zarbang to tour Europe
TEHRAN -- The Iranian percussion band Zarbang will embark on a European tour with concerts scheduled in Italy in late February.
They will perform in Treviso, Vince and Milan from February 18 to 20 and their concert will be hosted by Amsterdam on February 26. They will also have concerts on March 5 and 6 in Düsseldorf, Germany and on March 15 in Madrid.
Iranian filmmaker selected for Indian festival jury
TEHRAN -- Iranian filmmaker Marjan Riahi is among the jury members of the 3rd Jaipur International Film Festival which will be held from January 27 to 30.
“When the Lemons Turned Yellow” by director Mohammadreza Vatandust, “Salve” by Alireza Davudnejad, “Invitation” by Payam Zeinolabedini and five other Iranian films will compete at the event.
Iran to hold “Hollywoodism” conference
TEHRAN -- Organizers of the Fajr International Film Festival plan to discuss the social and political impacts of Hollywood during a conference entitled “Hollywoodism and Cinema” on the sidelines of the event.
The conference will be held on different themes including Zionism and Hollywood, war, terrorism and Hollywood, Hollywood and Satanism and the American lifestyle in Hollywood.
The 29th edition of the Fajr International Film Festival will run in Tehran from February 5 to 15..