TEHRAN – The Cinema Organization of Iran announced on Thursday that it has allocated a loan of 3 billion rials (over $71,000) to each of 21 film projects hit by the coronavirus shutdown.

The loans are being granted to the films to combat the financial losses caused by the COVID-19 shutdown.

Six films that were scheduled to go on screen at Iranian theaters during Noruz, the Iranian New Year celebration, are among the films.

Mohammad Kart’s directorial debut “Butterfly Swimming”, which received Crystal Simorghs in six categories, including the audience award, at the 38th Fajr Film Festival, is among the films.  

Other highlights of the lineup are Peyman Qasemkhani’s comedy movie “Good, Bad, Garish 2: The Secret Army” and Mohammad-Hadi Karimi’s “Filicide”.

“Laminor” by veteran filmmaker Dariush Mehrjui, children’s movie “Bazivoo” by Amir-Hossein Qahrai, and “Women Are Angels 2” by Mohammad-Hossein Farahbakhsh are also among the projects.

“Walnut Tree”, director Mohammad-Hossein Mahdavian drama, will also receive a loan. Mahdavian won the Crystal Simorgh for best director for the movie that portrays the true story of the profound tragedy of Iraq’s chemical attack on the Iranian town of Sardasht in 1987.

Earlier in March, Cinema Organization of Iran director Hossein Entezami organized a meeting urging his colleagues to establish a committee to evaluate the financial losses caused by the shutdown of movie theaters and film projects due to the coronavirus epidemic.

The committee was tasked with finding ways to support cineastes and theater owners impacted by the coronavirus.

The meeting also discussed ways to combat the financial losses and to stop the projects under production.

Photo: A scene from director Mohammad-Hossein Mahdavian’s drama “Walnut Tree”.

MMS/YAW