“Desire to Fly” director Yadollah Samadi dies at 66

TEHRAN – Iranian director Yadollah Samadi, most famous for his epic TV series “Desire to Fly” on Iranian war hero Abbas Babai, died of heart failure at a Shiraz hospital on Tuesday. He was 66.

Biography of martyr Mohsen Hojaji published 

TEHRAN – A biography of Mohsen Hojaji, an Iranian soldier who was brutally martyred by Daesh forces in Syria last year, was released on Tuesday.

Iranian Artists Forum to host Australian film festival 

TEHRAN – The Iranian Artists Forum in Tehran will be hosting a festival of films from Australia during October.

By Manijeh Rezapoor

Sacred Defense has promoted national unity: Culture Minister 

TEHRAN – Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Abbas Salehi has said that the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, which is known as the Sacred Defense in Iran, has led Iranians to national unity and solidarity in various periods over the past three decades.

Iranian filmmaker traces Noriyuki Haraguchi’s “Oil Pool”

TEHRAN – Iranian filmmaker Hooman Zarif is studying the 40-year history of Japanese artist Noriyuki Haraguchi’s “Oil Pool” in his latest documentary, “In Search of Lost Time”.

Golden Pinwheel Illustrators Competition picks works from Iran 

TEHRAN – Works by two Iranian illustrators have been selected for the final list of the Golden Pinwheel International Young Illustrators Competition in Shanghai, China.

“Blockage”, “Are You Volleyball?” named best at Yari filmfest

TEHRAN – The acclaimed movies “Blockage” and “Are You Volleyball?” won the awards for best feature and short films respectively at the 18th Iranian Film Festival in the Swedish cities of Uppsala and Stockholm, the organizers announced on Sundays.

Art Bureau to hold exhibits on Ahvaz terrorist attacks

TEHRAN – The Art Bureau is planning to hold nationwide poster exhibitions, censuring the shooting attack on a military parade that killed 25 people in Iran’s southwestern city of Ahvaz on Saturday.

Christie’s offers works by contemporary Iranian masters of art

TEHRAN – On October 24, Christie’s in London will be offering Middle Eastern, Iranian and Turkish Modern and Contemporary Art for the first time in the history of international auction houses.

Filmmaker and translator Parviz Tayidi dies at 81

TEHRAN – Parviz Tayidi, Iranian film and theater director and the translator of “An Actor’s Work on a Role” by Russian theater practitioner Konstantin Stanislavski (1863-1938), has died in Tehran. He was 81, Persian media reported on Sunday.

Iranian director to stage “Stools” in Italy 

TEHRAN – Jafar Mahyari, the artistic director of the Zendegi Theater Company in Iran, is scheduled to stage “Stools” at Camere d’aria, a multipurpose space for art and culture in the Italian city of Bologna.

Iran cancels Press Exhibition over adverse economic conditions

TEHRAN – The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance has decided to cancel the Press Exhibition this year due to the current adverse economic conditions facing the country and print media, the Persian service of MNA reported on Saturday.

Aran Theater Troupe to restage Ashura opera puppet show in Tehran

TEHRAN – Director Behruz Gharibpur plans to restage the Ashura opera puppet show with his Aran Theater Troupe at Tehran’s Ferdowsi Hall during October, the group announced on Saturday.

Belarus festival hosts “Momma Yerma”

TEHRAN – The Creative Theatre Company from Tehran is competing in the 15th Teatralny Kufar International Student and Youth Theater Festival in Minsk, Belarus with “Momma Yerma”.

Sitcom “Centipede” lifts Iran box office record

TEHRAN – Director Abolhassan Davudi’s sitcom “Centipede” starring Reza Attaran, Iran’s Leading Film Figure of the Year, has hit a new record at Iranian box offices this summer by grossing over 350 billion rials (about $8.5 million), the Persian service of ISNA reported on Friday.

Doc by Mona Zandi reviews Gelmali tradition in Lorestan

TEHRAN – Mona Zandi, the director of the acclaimed drama “Friday Evening”, has made a documentary named “Gloomy Moments” that studies Gelmali, a ritual tradition observed in the month of Muharram in Lorestan Province in western Iran.

Iranian actor make director debut with Evgeny Schwartz “Dragon”

TEHRAN – Iranian stage actor Mehran Aslani will make his directorial debut with Russian writer Evgeny Schwartz’s 1943 play “The Dragon” that mocks Stalin’s government and totalitarianism.

Iranian scholar working on Persian-Ottoman Turkish dictionary

TEHRAN – An Iranian scholar is working on a dictionary that will contain over 15,000 Ottoman Turkish words and phrases originating from the Persian language.

Milani sues E1 Gallery over early closure of her exhibition 

TEHRAN – Filmmaker Tahmineh Milani has filed a lawsuit in a Tehran court against E1 Gallery over closing her painting exhibition early, the Persian service of ISNA reported on Monday.

“Isolation” director wins award at Salento festival 

TEHRAN – Morteza-Ali Abbas-Mirzai has been selected as best director for his drama “Isolation” at the 15th Salento International Film Festival in the Italian town of Tricase.

Iranian films honored at Kazan Muslim cinema festival

TEHRAN – Iranian films “Golnesa” and “Saad’s Olive Tree” have won awards at the 14th Kazan International Festival of Muslim Cinema.

Play on Persian poet Sadi to go on stage in Vancouver

TEHRAN – A play on Persian poet Sadi (C. 1213-1291), famous worldwide for his masterpieces Bustan (The Orchard) and Gulistan (The Rose Garden), will go on stage the Centennial Theatre in North Vancouver, Canada on September 22.

Shorts from Iran compete in Batumi festival

TEHRAN – Iranian movies “Umbra” and “Are You Volleyball?” will be screened in the short competition of the Batumi International Art-House Film Festival (BIAFF) in Georgia.

Voice actor Mehdi Arian-nejad passes away at 79

TEHRAN – The Iranian voice actor Mehdi Arian-nejad who gave the voice to the Aardvark in “The Ant and the Aardvark” series and many other characters in the world animated movies died of heart failure at his home in Tehran on Friday. He was 79.

By Seyyed Mostafa Mousavi Sabet

Iran sends “No Date” to Oscars despite calls for Academy Awards boycott

TEHRAN – Iran has submitted the acclaimed drama “No Date, No Signature” to the 91st Academy Awards in the best foreign language film category despite calls for the Farabi Cinema Foundation to boycott the prestigious cinematic competition over Washington’s withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

“60=1” named best short at Indian festival

TEHRAN – Iranian filmmaker Iman Davari’s film has won the best film award for his “60=1” in the international section of the 3rd Acharya Tulsi Short Film Festival in India, the organizers have announced.

IIDCYA screens films by pioneers of children’s cinema 

TEHRAN – The Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA) has launched a program during which a lineup of films by pioneers of Iranian children’s cinema, including Abbas Kiarostami and Nureddin Zarrinkelk, will be screened.

Seven troupes from Iran to go on stage at Armenia HIGH FEST

TEHRAN – Seven plays by Iranian troupes will be competing in the HIGH FEST International Performing Arts Festival, which will be held in Yerevan, Armenia from September 5 to October 5.

Swedish Iranian Film Festival unveils lineup 

TEHRAN – The Iranian Film Festival in the Swedish cities of Uppsala and Stockholm has announced its lineup.

Iranian Artists Forum hosts tazieh performances

TEHRAN – A group from the Kahrobaye Tazieh Center is performing tazieh (Iranian passion play) in the courtyard of the Iranian Artists Forum.