“Sabokbal” composer Hossein Dehlavi passes away at 92

TEHRAN – Celebrated composer Hossein Dehlavi, who was mostly famous for “Sabokbal”, “Bijan and Manijeh” and many other compositions that connect traditional Iranian music with Western classical music, died at his home in Tehran on Tuesday at the age of 92.

Persian publisher to review Walter Dean Myers’ “Monster”

TEHRAN – The Iranian publisher Peydayesh plans to hold a session on Wednesday to review American author Walter Dean Myers’ young adult novel “Monster”.

“The Wooden Bridge” to go on screen at USC in Los Angeles

TEHRAN – Iranian director Mehdi Karampur’s 2012 movie “The Wooden Bridge” will go on screen during a program at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles on November 3. 

Ali Musavi Garmarudi, Faramarz Qaribian join “Forty Days of Love” honorees 

TEHRAN – Poet Seyyed Ali Musavi Garmarudi and actor Faramarz Qaribian have been added to the list of the 40 cultural figures who will be honored in the program “Forty Days of Love” on October 21.

Iran to hold cultural meetings during Frankfurt Book Fair

TEHRAN – The Iran Cultural Fairs Institute (ICFI), which will represent the country at the Frankfurt Book Fair, will hold talks with a number of foreign cultural officials during the world’s largest trade fair for books in the German city. 

Parisa Manuchehri wins Architecture MasterPrize in Bilbao  

TEHRAN – Iranian architect Parisa Manuchehri has won the Architecture MasterPrize (AMP) in Spain, the organizers have announced.

Alireza Shojanuri to play title role in “Salman Farsi” 

TEHRAN – Alireza Shojanuri, the star of Majid Majidi’s 2015 blockbuster “Muhammad (S), the Messenger of God” about the life of Muhammad (S), will play the title role in “Salman Farsi”, a TV series about the life story of the Iranian companion of the Prophet of Islam.

Calligraphy Week opens with nastaliq exhibition in Tehran 

TEHRAN – Iran’s Calligraphy Week officially opened with displaying works by a number of prominent Persian calligraphers in an exhibition at Tehran’s Aseman Art and Culture Center on Friday.

Neyanban virtuoso Mohsen Sharifian to perform at Irish festival 

TEHRAN – Iranian vocalist and neyanban virtuoso Mohsen Sharifian will be attending the William Kennedy Piping Festival running in the Irish town of Armagh from November 14 to 17.

Kayhan Kalhor cancels Istanbul concert in protest at Turkey’s assault on Kurds in Syria

TEHRAN – Kurdish Iranian kamancheh virtuoso Kayhan Kalhor has canceled his upcoming concert in Istanbul, Turkey, in protest over Turkey’s assault on the Kurds in Syria.

By Manijeh Rezapoor

Photographer Kenro Izu shares personal experiences of “pilgrimage by camera”

TEHRAN – Kenro Izu, a world-renowned U.S.-based Japanese photographer who calls his style of photography a “pilgrimage by camera,” puts forth his personal experiences of life in his black and white photo series.

Children’s hopes under spotlight at UNICEF photo contest 

TEHRAN – The branch office of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in Iran plans to organize a photo contest under the title “Children and Hope”.

Tallinn Black Nights festival picks “When the Moon Was Full” 

TEHRAN – Iranian filmmaker Narges Abyar’s award-winning drama “When the Moon Was Full” will be screened in the official competition of Estonia’s Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.

By Seyyed Mostafa Mousavi Sabet

Filmmaker emerges to bring dramas from Iran political history to life   

“I was born during the war, which had lasted for so long that I thought that it would be forever and would never end. When I heard people talking about the frontline I imagined it was a geographical location like a sea or a forest near the borderlines of each country where the war took place. We were in our childhood, experiencing a certain way of life. We chanted slogans in the schools and talked about certain issues and heard about subjects from the media that deeply influenced our hearts and minds. Today, the experiences of those years caused me to be interested in returning to those years with new feelings and perceptions, which come from awareness, and I want to recollect the memories of those years again.”

Yemen Resistance Cartoon Exhibition opens in Tehran 

TEHRAN – The Yemen Resistance Cartoon Exhibition opened at the Osveh Art and Cultural Center in Tehran on Tuesday to represent Yemenis resistant against the atrocities perpetrated by the Saudis in their war. 

Turkish star Hande Erçel joins cast, “Drunk on Love” filming begins

TEHRAN – Iranian director Hassan Fat’hi has started shooting “Drunk on Love” in Konya as Turkish TV star Hande Erçel joined the cast for the movie, which will portray part of Persian poet Molana Jalal ad-Din Rumi’s life story, a public relations team for the movie announced on Tuesday.

“Castle of Dreams” director Reza Mirkarimi named best at Slemani festival

TEHRAN – Iranian filmmaker Reza Mirkarimi was crowned best director for his drama “Castle of Dreams” at the 4th Slemani International Film Festival in the Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah, the organizers announced on Wednesday. 

National Museum of Iran to display works by sculptor Bijan Basiri 

TEHRAN – A selection of works by the Italy-based Iranian sculptor Bijan Basiri will be displayed in an exhibition at the National Museum of Iran on Friday.

National library to honor 40 artists with artworks on Ashura

TEHRAN – The National Library and Archives of Iran plans to honor 40 Iranian artists who have created outstanding works about the tragedy of Ashura over the past century.

True Molavi is in Masnavi not in sama: Iranology Foundation CEO

TEHRAN – Iranology Foundation director Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Khamenei said on Monday that the Persian poet Molana Jala ad-Din Rumi is only perceivable through his masterpiece Masnavi-ye Manavi not by sama, a Sufi ecstatic dance.

New president appointed to Fajr Intl. Film Festival 

TEHRAN – Cinema Organization of Iran (COI) director Hossein Entezami appointed filmmaker Mohammad-Mehdi Asgarpur the new director of the Fajr International Film Festival. 

Chicago festival to screen “Just 6.5”, “The Role”

TEHRAN – Iranian director Saeid Rustai’s acclaimed drama “Just 6.5” and his fellow filmmaker Farnush Samadi’s short movie “The Role” will compete in the 55th Chicago International Film Festival.

Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel publishes travelog of Arbaeen pilgrimage

TEHRAN – Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, the director of the Academy of Persian Language and Literature, has published his travelogue of the Arbaeen pilgrimage in a book.

Painting depicting Ashura tragedy unveiled at Tehran children’s center  

TEHRAN – An illustration portraying a story about Imam Hussein (AS) and his six-month-old baby boy, Ali Asghar (AS) who was the youngest person martyred on Ashura, was unveiled during a special ceremony in Tehran on Saturday.

“Just 6.5” honored at Zurich film festival

TEHRAN – Iranian director Saeid Rustai’s drama “Just 6.5” received a special mention in the international competition of the 15th Zurich Film Festival in Switzerland on Sunday. 

Launching regional market, Iran’s main cinema strategy: official

TEHRAN – The director of the Farabi Cinema Foundation, Iran’s main center that outlines plans to deal with overseas organizations and other countries in the area of cinema, has said that launching a regional film market is the country’s main cinema strategy.

Tbilisi museum to showcase photos of Niavaran Palace 

TEHRAN – The Tbilisi History Museum in the Georgian capital will be playing host to an exhibition of photos of Tehran’s Niavaran Cultural Historical Complex on Tuesday.

Iranian Film Festival Australia to open with “Castle of Dreams”

TEHRAN – Reza Mirkarimi’s drama “Castle of Dreams” will open the 9th edition of the Iranian Film Festival Australia (IFFA) in Brisbane on October 24, the organizers have announced. 

Movies from Iran competing in Rome Asiatica festival

TEHRAN – The Iranian films “Castle of Dreams” and “Sly” are competing in the 20th Asiatica Film Festival, which is currently underway in Rome, Italy.

Tehran center to review Persian translations of “The House of Bernarda Alba” 

TEHRAN – A number of Iranian literati will come together in a session at the House of Writers in Tehran today to review two different Persian translations of Spanish dramatist Federico Garcia Lorca’s play “The House of Bernarda Alba”.