Iranian actress on Indian festival panel

TEHRAN,Jan.12(MNA) -- Iranian actress Laleh Eskandari will judge at the 10th edition of the Pune International Film Festival, which will be held from January 12 to 19 in India. She will judge at the event alongside seven other cineastes fron Austrilia, USA, Italy, Germany and Brazil. “Although I have been a jury member in Iranian festivals, this is my first experience as a jury member in international festivals and this is a good opportunity for me to gain new experience,” she told . She said that the organizers of the Pune festival introduced her with other international festivals that were interested in having an Iranian actress on the juries of their galas. She announced that the Iranian blockbuster “Nader and Simin: A Separation” by Asghar Farhadi will compete at the festival. The festival is organized by the Pune Film Foundation and the Government of Maharashtra. Pune is among the fastest growing cosmopolitan areas in India today. Its all-round growth has made it an attractive global destination for many segments. Because of the highly reputed FTII (Film and Television Institute of India), Pune is also a hotbed of filmdom that has consistently produced fresh talent for all genres of the film industry. The presence of the FTII also fits in well with Pune’s overall personality of being the “Oxford of the East”.