Isfahan to Host 'International Film Festival for Children and Young Adults' for Four Years

According to the information center of the 30^th International Film Festival for Children and Young adults, Alireza Rezadad says “Last July a 5-year-old agreement signed among the cinema organization, the city hall of Isfahan, and Farabi cinema foundation on holding the children and young adults film festival, which has been put into action since the last October. In this year’s edition we have a new change which is the separation between children’s category and young adults’. Therefore, movies in each category are going to be judged and awarded independently.”

“Another considerable difference is,” he adds, “a special attention to animated features. Since there is a rising interest in making animation in the country, we have separated categories for animated shorts and features this year in the festival.”

Talking about the theatres which get prepared for the festival, Rezadad adds, “It’s been a month since the four cinema complexes in Chahr-Bagh Boulvard were rehabilitated, in which three movie theaters are exclusive to the festival. Felestin cinema along with a new one in Isfahan’s city center is also among the cinemas in which festivals’ films will be shown. There are two other theatres which will be done constructing until the beginning of the festival.”

“It is the first time that the festival is going to be held in summer. Our main focus is to encourage children and their parents to attend. To fulfill this goal, we established a club for audience so as to get them informed about the details of the event. Twelve thousands Isfahanees have submitted in the club until now. We predict an increase to fifteen thousands by the beginning of the festival. By the means of this amount of members we can make all Isfahanees familiar with the festival.”

Considering the last edition’s filmmaking lab for young adults, Rezadad says, “Although We want to spot and develop young talants who are interested in filmmaking, a film festival is aimed at showing professional productions. Last edition in Hamedan was a success since there was no independent category for young adults’ movies. But this year we decided to focus only on the festival.”

“Farabi cinema foundation knows how important a festival is to improve the conditions of children’s cinema. Therefore, children’s movies need to get more supports. Our main responsibility as the festival organizers is to introduce quality materials for the audience,” he adds.

To answer the question of which city is going to be the host of festival in next years, he says, “Based on that 5-year-old agreement among cinema organization, the city hall of Isfahan and Farabi foundation, the festival is going to be held in Isfahan for the next four years. If everything goes well, as it’s been so far, chances are the next editions also to be held in this city.”

Rezadad adds at the end, “The final selectees and the schedule of all sections will be announced until June 5. At last but not least, we will definitely pay a special tribute to Donya Fanizadeh (an Iranian puppeteer who passed away last year due to hand cancer).”

The 30^th international film festival for children and young adults will be held from June 30 to July 6 in Isfahan.