Prague filmfest to spotlight Iranian women

TEHRAN, Jan.8(MNA) -- The Prague Iranian Film Festival will spotlight the role of women in Iranian society during its first edition which will be held from January 11 to 15. With a focus on strong female characters in films as well as numerous works by female directors, the festival will screen movies in three categories: feature films, documentaries and short films. “Portraying a realistic image of Iranian women … opens the doors to a better understanding of [Iranian] society as a whole,” said Torang Daneshmand, executive director of Tokada Productions, the organizer of the festival. “Nader and Simin: A Separation” by Asghar Farhadi, “So Simple” by Seyyed Reza Mirkarimi, “Shirin” by Abbas Kiarostami, “Gilaneh” by Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, and “Heiran” by Shalizeh Arefpur are among the films which will go on screen at the event. All films will be screened in Persian, with both English and Czech subtitles. The Festival of Iranian Films in Prague is the first of its kind in the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic has always played a very significant role in the history of European cinema and the Czech people have long been persistent lovers of cinema. The Festival of Iranian Films in Prague is a fresh and unique cinematic opportunity that has not yet been experienced in the Czech Republic and will open the doors to an exceptional cultural exchange. The main goal of the festival is to provide a vivid image of Iranian cinema for a wide range of international audiences in the Czech Republic. The festival consists of three different programs; ‘Fiction’, ‘Documentary’ and ‘Short Films’. Each introduces a different spectrum of the art of film in Iran.