MNA � Iran and China are set to sign film co-production agreements by the end of this year, says GM of the China Film Co-Production Corporation, Miao Xiaotian.

�China has signed co-production agreements with 22 countries. Similar agreements between Iran and China are in the works, and will be signed by the end of this year,� said Miao Xiaotian, GM of the China Film Co-Production Corporation on Monday, Variety reported.

Miao was speaking at the Shanghai International Film Festival, which is hosting a six-title Focus Iran section and panel discussions on deeper co-operation.

Reza Mirkarimi, director of Iran�s Fajr International Film Festival, gave an overview of Iranian film, covering its history and modern operation. One notable segment of the presentation he gave was a segment called �Who Calls the Shots,� in which he explained the organizations and government bodies that oversee the Iranian industry, with the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance at the top of the list.

�China and Iran share so much in common when it comes to their social ecology and creative ecology,� said film director Jiang Haiyang.

Wang Yibing, CEO of Dirty Monkey Films Group, said that �China and Iran�s film industries share a passion for realist topics,� adding, �Each country�s complicated social structure and large population provide fertile soil for creativity.� Wang�s company produced the social-realist drama �Dying to Survive� in 2018, which enjoyed widespread critical and commercial success.

�Governments can work to promote the cooperation between countries, but the implementation should be done by filmmakers. Filmmakers need to have more dialogue. Maybe a movie on children�s topics can be a starting point of our collaboration,� said Kamyar Mohsenin, the Fajr festival�s manager of international relations.

The lineup for this year�s Shanghai Film Festival includes 'Castle of Dreams' ('Qasr-e Shirin') from Iranian director Reza Mirkarimi. The feature is about a 42-year-old man, Jalal, who murders a family in a car crash. The murder, however, is considered as involuntary manslaughter in court.

�Life Again� by Iranian director Reza Fahimi is also taking part at the festival. �The Graveless� directed by Iranian filmmaker Mostafa Sayari has been named by the festival organizers as one of the seven nominees for best film in this year�s Asian New Talent Award.

The 22nd edition of Shanghai International Film Festival is underway in China from June 15th to 24th, 2019.