The first edition of international festival of the Great Prophet Grand Prize has kicked off in the Iranian capital city of Tehran, Press TV has reported.A number of cultural officials and Islamic scholars along with Iranian and foreign cineastes attended the festivals opening gala held on May 24.
The festival has been presented in several categories such as short film, short documentary film, animation, screenplay and book written in English on the lifestyle and traditions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Organized by the Ahl al-Bayt World Assembly, the event is to introduce and support the best cinematic and literary works that feature true face of Islam and the great prophet.
The festival is a response to the wave of sacrilegious acts against the prophet of Islam and Muslim sanctities, the organizers announced.
Internationally renowned Iranian filmmaker Majid Maidi also participated in the festival and explained about his latest film, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Majidis religious blockbuster has recently passed its post-production phase. The film was already completed after four years of research and production process.
While the main parts of the film was shot in Iran, Majidi along with his team traveled to Africa and shot few sections of the project in the city of Bela-Bela in the Limpopo Province of South Africa.
The movie focuses on Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) life from childhood until prophethood. The first draft of the screenplay was co-authored by Majidi and Iranian filmmaker and screenwriter Kambuzia Partovi.
American filmmaker and Hollywood visual effects supervisor Scott E. Anderson along with several other world renowned cineastes contributed to Majidis great cinematic project.
Three-time Academy Award winning Italian cameraman Vittorio Storaro also collaborated with Majidi in his recent cinematic rendition.
Historical documents and facts have been compiled with the help of scholars, historians and clerics from different countries including Iran, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Iraq and Algeria over a year.
Produced by Mohammad Mehdi Heidarian, the film has been set to be released in Persian, Arabic and English.
The public screening of the film is scheduled to be within next five months, Majidi announced during the festivals opening gala.
By Press TV
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