TEHRAN- The 16th edition of the Ammar Popular Film Festival kicked off in Tehran on Thursday, during a ceremony attended by the families of martyrs, media figures, artists, and a diverse public audience. 

Speaking at the ceremony, Marzieh Hashemi, the secretary of the festival, referred to recent events and atrocities committed by the Zionist regime, stating: "We must uphold the Revolution's core principle, which is the voice of the oppressed."

“The Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, emphasizes that with unity, the enemy can achieve nothing. We must never allow the enemy to rob us of our unity. We must value the concerns of every individual in the country,” she added. 

In the current era, media is rife with falsehoods and artists and media professionals have a duty to be the voice of anti-imperialism and the voice of truth, she explained. 

“The Ammar Popular Film Festival must serve as a platform for the oppressed whose voices go unheard, she said and added: “We must loudly follow the path of Imam Hussein (AS), the path of truth, and defend truth at any cost. It is through preserving unity that victory is ours.”

As a part of the opening ceremony, the winners of some parts of the festival, including animation, music video, screenplay, AI and cyberspace, and TV production sections were honored. 

The organizers also paid tribute to the renowned wrestler and champion, Alireza Dabir.

Since its inception, the Ammar Popular Film Festival has championed the defense of exalted Islamic values and the support of popular and revolutionary artists. The 16th edition, under the motto "The Civilizational Battle of Islamic Iran Against the Barbaric West," aims to globally expose further dimensions of any malicious aggression by the despicable Zionist regime during the 12-Day War. The 16th edition convenes as the vile Zionist regime conducted terrorist operations inside the country, insulting mosques and the sanctities of devout Iranians.

The festival will come to an end on January 29.  

Ammar Popular Film Festival was established in 2010 by a number of Iranian revolutionary figures to honor film and art products promoting topics such as resistance and revolution. It was named after Ammar Yasir, a close companion of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

SAB/