TEHRAN- A new section titled My Iran has been added to the 44th edition of the Fajr International Theater Festival, the secretary of the festival has announced. 

The section focuses on themes such as the 12-Day War with Israel, the Sacred Defense (Iran-Iraq war), and the axis of resistance, Seyyed Vahid Fakhr Mousavi said during a press conference held in Tehran on Tuesday.  

In line with the emphasis of the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Seyyed Abbas Salehi, on decentralization from the capital, several sections of the festival and its opening ceremony were held in Kerman province, he added. 

Radio plays, poster and photo, research, and festival tributes, along with a number of street and stage performances, were held in Kerman, and the festival opening ceremony also took place in this city on Saturday. Additionally, nine educational workshops were held in Kerman.

"274 works applied for the festival, of which 16 plays are definitively and four are reserved to participate in the festival. In the Street Theater section, 243 works applied, and after reviewing by the selection committee, 25 works were chosen for the street performance schedule," he explained. 

Moreover, in My Iran section, 10 street works and 10 stage works will be performed, he mentioned. 

“In the International section, out of 223 works submitted to the secretariat, seven were scheduled to participate in the festival. However, for certain reasons, the festival could not host these groups,” he stated. 

"We had reached final agreements with groups from countries such as Italy; even tickets for the group were prepared, but problems arose that led to the cancellation of this group's and other groups' attendance," he concluded. 

SAB/