Polish Filmfest Kicks off in Tehran

A Polish film festival opened at Tehran’s Niavaran Cultural Center on Monday, AVA Diplomatic reports.Polish Ambassador Juliusz Jacek Gojlo, a number of filmmakers from his country, and several Iranian cineastes and officials attended the opening ceremony of the festival.

The managing director of the institute, Hossein Mosafer-Astaneh, Iran Cinema Organization Director Hojjatollah Ayyubi, and Iran’s Documentary and Experimental Film Center (DEFC) Director Mohammad Tabatabinejad were among the guests.

Organized by Iran’s Visual Media Institute, several movies will go on screen during the four-day event, Persian media reported on Tuesday.

Mosafer-Astaneh regarded the festival as a good event that helps establish good relationship between the countries and bring the nations closer to one another.

Iran and Poland have long had cultural and political relations, and the first film festival of Iran was held in Poland two years ago, he added.

He expressed hope the festival will lead to increased relations, adding that Iran will be holding its second film festival in Poland within the coming months.

Ayyubi also made a brief speech and said that the historical background shared by the two countries has helped reinforce their relations.

 “Polish filmmakers can easily speak the language of cinema, and we are proud that we have also learned the language of cinema and can speak in the language of cinema with an Iranian accent,” Ayyubi said.

Ambassador Juliusz Jacek Gojlo expressed his appreciation to the organizers of the event and said that his country has great interest in cinema of Iran and hoped for better conditions so that Iranian filmmakers can produce films in Poland.

 “Walesa: Man of Hope” by Andrzej Wajda, “Supermarket” by Maciej Zak, “My Father’s Bike” by Piotr Trzaskalski,  and “Imagine” by Andrzej Jakimowski are among the Polish films to go on screen during the festival.