TEHRAN – The 44th Fajr National Film Festival will be inaugurated at Mellat Cineplex in Tehran on February 1, setting the stage for ten days of artistic celebration and competition.

This year’s Sodaye-Simorgh (the festival's main competition section) is notably robust, with 31 feature-length narrative films vying for the prestigious Crystal Simorgh awards. The selection presents a dynamic mix of established masters and promising newcomers. 

Alongside these, two films will be screened out of competition, the animated movie “Guardians of the Sun,” co-directed by Emad Rahmani and Mehrdad Mehrabi and “Mola” by Abbas Lajevardi, a film dedicated to the theme of Eid al-Ghadir.

All 33 films in this section will be screened across 33 cinemas throughout the capital, ensuring widespread public access.

The competition lineup features acclaimed directors such as Rasoul Sadrameli, Soroush Sehat, Amirshahab Razavian, Manouchehr Hadi, Alireza Motamedi, and Mostafa Razzaq-Karimi and they are joined by a cadre of young and first-time filmmakers.

The intense production schedule leading up to the festival is notable, with a significant number of competing films having wrapped filming in recent days. This pace has resulted in limited released details and visuals for some entries, with several production teams opting for a discreet approach in their final preparations.

Earlier this month, the poster for the 44th Fajr National Film Festival, inspired by an iconic image of veteran actor Ali Nassirian from the film “The Stone Lion,” directed by Masoud Jafari Jozani, was unveiled.

Designed by Mehdi Davaei, the festival poster emphasizes one of Iran’s cinematic masterpieces—featuring an image from "The Stone Lion." The portrayal depicts an Iranian man and his deep bond with the land, echoing national sentiments in the aftermath of this year's 12-day conflict with the Zionist regime.

Choosing "The Stone Lion" for the 44th Fajr Film Festival poster signifies a meaningful link between current cinema and Iran’s cultural, historical, and mythological heritage.

It underscores the festival’s commitment to revisiting and emphasizing national identity through cinematic works.

44th Fajr National Film Festival will run until February 11, under the directorship of Manouchehr Shahsavari.

SAB/