TEHRAN – Following a letter of protest from Hamed Jafari, the CEO of the Farabi Cinema Foundation, which operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, to international film production and distribution entities, global film festivals, and foreign filmmakers, Jose Cabrera, one of the managers of the Valladolid International Film Festival in Spain, announced that a group of Spanish artists, cultural activists, and filmmakers have signed a statement condemning the aggression of the United States and the Zionist regime and expressing sympathy with the Iranian people.

Cabrera, a well-known cultural figure in Spain, emphasized that Yorgos Lanthimos, Mike Figgis, and Ben Rivers are among the directors who have joined dozens of artists and university specialists in signing an open letter condemning the joint American-Zionist war against Iran and emphasizing Iranian sovereignty. They are among the first signatories of a letter that is being circulated and signed within filmmaking, cultural, artistic, and academic circles.

According to Mehr, parts of this statement, a copy of which has been provided to the Farabi Cinema Foundation, read:

“We, a group of artists, cultural activists, and filmmakers, issue this statement with full awareness of our historical and moral responsibility to unequivocally condemn war, military violence, and all forms of political and military intervention”.

“We declare clearly and unambiguously that the destiny and future of Iran belong exclusively to the people of Iran, and no foreign power, no government, and no military coalition has the legitimacy to determine the political, social, or historical path for this land. The right to self-determination is a fundamental and undeniable principle that stems solely from the free and conscious will of every nation”.

Established in 1983, Farabi Cinema Foundation has operated in a wide range of activities which covers all aspects of cinema and film industry. It has produced films, supplied raw materials, lent camera equipment, provided post-production facilities, published various cinematic literature and sponsored film festivals.

Farabi is also responsible for promoting and marketing Iranian cinema all over the world. Introducing Iranian feature films to festivals, screening Iranian films in different countries, participating in film markets and world sales of Iranian motion pictures are among its international activities. Farabi enters co-production projects with foreign producers as well.

Through years of productive activity, Farabi Cinema Foundation has established itself as the major organization involved in domestic film industry and the main representative of Iranian Cinema abroad.

The US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28 and have so far martyred about 2,000 people including the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, several officials, and military commanders as well as civilians, including women and children.

The aggressors’ objective in the recent attacks was the claim of preventing Iran’s nuclear program but later they revealed that their maximalist goal is the regime change in Iran. Therefore, besides some military targets, the US and Israel have launched organized attacks against civilian infrastructure, including residential homes, hospitals, refineries, power plants, schools, universities, art and cultural spaces, bookstores, museums, and ancient sites in several cities, causing total or partial damages and injuring innocent people, in a bid to force the regime to surrender to their unlawful wills.

The attacks prompted a swift response from the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), with missile and drone launches targeting Israel and several U.S. bases in the region, occurring less than two hours after the strikes, which have been intensified in recent days.

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