TEHRAN –A lineup of short animations by Iranian filmmakers is being screened in different sections of Cartoon Club, an international festival of animated movies, comics and games, underway in the Italian city of Ramini.

“Before Heaven” by Ahmad Heidarian, “Being Ten” by Fatemeh Jafari, “It Is A Gray, Gray World” by Seyyed Mohsen Purmohseni Shakib and “The Killing” by    Mojtaba Purkhatun are on screen at the festival.

The lineup also includes “The Sprayer” by Farnush Abedi, “The Lovely Sky” by Amir Mehran, “Gun Play” by Barzan Rostami, “Soo” by Roya Salimi and “Swollen” by Zahra Khorshidi. 

Also included are “Gamepad” by Azad Sadeqi, “Humeyra” by Seyyed Hossein Hashemi, “Irreversible” by Sheida Kashi and “Let’s Make Peace” by Abdollah Alimorad.

“Animation is often considered a minor child of cinema, but in reality it was born long before the invention of the Lumière brothers,” reads a part of the festival’s statement.

“Its origins lie in all those ingenious techniques and technologies used by storytellers and entertainers to arouse wonder before the invention of the cinematograph: the ancient Chinese shadows and more modern instruments such as zootropes or optical theaters.”

“However, the basic need that accompanies the world of animated drawing is always the same: to arouse emotions and wonder,” it continues.

The festival will be running until July 16.

Photo: A scene from “Let’s Make Peace” by Abdollah Alimorad

ABU/