TEHRAN Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance for Cinematic Affairs Seifollah Daad said here on Saturday that the 19th Fajr International Film Festival is to open in Tehran on January 31.

Speaking in a press conference Daad underlined that more than 41 countries will take part in this year's festival, adding that 20 domestic and 20 foreign films will participate in the competition section of the 19th Fajr International Film Festival.

He said that the 20 Iranian entries in the festival were selected out of 61 candidate films. Daad noted that the films ****Delbaran**** by Abolfazl Jalili, ****Souvenir**** by Mostafa Razzaqi-Karimi, along with three other films including ****Under the Light of the Moon****, ****Blue****, and ****Dead Wave**** are currently on the reserve list and will be screened in the non-competition section of the festival.

Daad underlined that most of the films participating in the 19th Fajr International Film Festival have social, political, religious, and educational themes.

The deputy minister of culture and Islamic guidance, said that the Selection Board of Iranian Films comprises a group of representatives of Khaneh Cinema (House of Cinema), adding that each member of the board has won at least one prize at previous Fajr International Film Festivals.

He said that the Selection Board of Foreign Films comprises editors-in-chief of cinematic periodicals along with four cinema critics selected by the Association of Cinema Critics.

In conclusion Daad said that the Seminar on Cinema and Dialogue Among Civilizations, which held preparatory meetings last year, will be held in Tehran in the near future.