Over 50 countries, from neighbors to the US, submitted 232 works in the international section of the 5th Urban International Film Festival, which concluded on Tuesday at Tehran’s Milad Tower.

In all, the festival secretariat received over 2000 works for the ‘national’ section and more than 1000 works for the ‘Iran cinema’ section.

Festival Secretary Siavash Haghighi said 40 films were evaluated by the jury and the best were awarded,” ISNA reported.

He appealed for official support to national cinema and said, “Iran’s cinema is kept alive only through the efforts of some committed cineastes; however, it needs creative minds to blow fresh air into its dying spirit.”

Haghighi called the municipalities as influential organizations which can help support filmmakers by providing them adequate facilities to produce and screen their movies.

Tehran Mayor Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf pointed to cities as centers which produce power, wealth, wisdom and dignity and stressed, “We should strive to properly introduce our cities to people.”

Films can trigger a change for better in cities by depicting “urban ugliness.”

The celebrated filmmaker Ebrahim Hatamikia was honored at the ceremony for his contribution to cinema. Hatamikia has directed several well-known war movies on the subject of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq imposed war. His social movies also center around the post-war effects on the society and families.

The festival focuses on urban themes and seeks to investigate sociological and anthropological aspects of urban life in films. The location and environment, human interaction in city life, and how geography affects urban life are issues it deals with.

The event also aims to promote Iranian and Islamic lifestyle and draw attention to individual religious identity.

By Financial Tribune