TEHRAN -- Shafi Aqamohmmadian has been appointed as the director of the Experimental and Documentary Film Center (EDFC).

He was officially introduced on Sunday during a ceremony attended by Deputy Culture Minister for Cinematic Affairs Javad Shamaqdari and several other cultural officials.
Aqamohmmadian, 50, is the director of the films “Telephone”, “Eagle’s Eye”, “Ambassador’s Driver” and several other movies.
EDFC former director Mohammad Afarideh resigned on October 18 as Iran’s most important documentary film festival, the Cinéma Vérité Festival, which is annually organized by EDFC and was underway in Tehran at the time.
Afarideh submitted his resignation after this year’s festival received a less-than-lukewarm reception from Iranian filmmakers.
Due to the restrictions imposed on Iranian documetarians who wanted to cover the unrest following Iran’s June 12 presidential election, 136 Iranian documentary filmmakers announced in August that they would not participate in the festival.
In an open letter published by the media, they indirectly requested that EDFC postpone the festival until next year.
Afarideh was agreeable to postponing the Cinéma Vérité Festival for a year, but apparently, external pressure forced him to hold the event.
An affiliate to the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, EDFC is primarily responsible for supporting film directors as well as for promoting documentary filmmaking.