Iranian official urges cineastes to boycott Oscars over anti-Islam film

TEHRAN,Sept.25(MNA)-- Iran Cinema Organization (ICO) Director Javad Shamaqdari asked Iranian cineastes to boycott the 2013 Oscars in protest at the Academy Awards’ silence about the anti-Islam film “Innocence of Muslims”, which posted on the Internet about two weeks ago. The call for the boycott was announced in a message Shamaqdari sent to a board assigned to select Iran’s entry to the 2013 Oscars just hours after the board selected “A Cube of Sugar” as Iran’s entry to the Oscars. He congratulated the members of board for selecting the film, but he proposed them to shun the Academy Awards. The selecting board composed of nine cineastes and film experts were appointed by the Farabi Cinematic Foundation (FCF), which is an ICO sub-organization. “I propose avoiding the cinematic event until the officials of the Academy Awards produce an appropriate response to the insulting film about the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S),” Shamaqdari said in a message sent to the selecting board. “Obviously, the boycott will remain binding until the Academy makes an appropriate response to the insulting film and censures the producers of the film,” he added. FCF Deputy Director Hassan Najjarian said last week that the FCF had set up a committee to make a decision on a boycott of the 2013 Academy Awards over the anti-Islam film if it found any connection between the film and Hollywood. However, the committee found no connection between Hollywood and the film, he noted. Shamaqdari’s remarks have been deemed as a proposal by the members of the selecting board. “The ICO director’s proposal is worthwhile, but the selecting board’s view was that we should not deprive the Iranian cinema of the tribune,” board spokesman Amir Esfandiari told . Iran sends “A Cube of Sugar” for Oscar race Reza Mirkarim’s “A Cube of Sugar” is Iran’s entry to the 85th Annual Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category in 2013. The film tells the story of a happy family meeting, which is held to make preparations for their youngest sister’s engagement party. But, some bad news comes along and ruins everything that was planned. The Iranian cinema expert Amir-Hossein Alamolhoda said in early September that the film is the best choice for next year’s Oscar race. “Due to its structure, the film is one of the top films produced in Iran over the past thirty years, particularly over the past few years. From the point of view of subject, the film narrates a local story through the global language of cinema,” he said. “A Cube of Sugar” premiered in the U.S. in May 2012. Mirkarimi’s family drama “So Close, So Far” was Iran’s submission for the Academy Awards in 2006. Mirkarimi was a member an Iranian cultural delegation that paid a visit to the Academy in October 2009 during “Up Close and Personal: Iranian Filmmakers in Their Own Words”, a program organized by UCLA and the Academy. The following is a list of Iranian entries to the Academy Awards over the years: “The Cycle” (directed by Dariush Mehrjui, 1978) “The Lovers’ Wind” (Albert Lamorisse, 1979) “Under the Olive Trees” (Abbas Kirostami, 1995) “White Balloon” (Jafar Panahi, 1996) “Gabbeh” (Mohsen Makhmalbaf, 1998) “Children of Heaven” (Majid Majidi, 1999). This film received a nomination at the Best Foreign Language Film category. “Color of Paradise” (Majid Majidi, 2000) “A Time for Drunken Horses” (Bahman Qobadi, 2001) “Baran” (Majid Majidi, 2002) “I, Taraneh, Am 15” (Rasul Sadr-Ameli, 2003) “Deep Breath” (Parviz Shahbazi, 2004) “Turtles Can Fly” (Bahman Qobadi, 2005) “So Close, So Far” (Reza Mirkarimi, 2006) “Border Café” (Kambuzia Partovi, 2007) “M for Mother” (Rasul Mollaqolipur, 2008) “The Song of Sparrows” (Majid Majidi, 2009) “About Elly” (Asghar Farhahi, 2010) “Farewell Baghdad” (Mehdi Naderi, 2011) “A Separation” (Asghar Farhadi, 2012). This film won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.