Tehran – The 37th edition of the International Film Festival for Children and Young People is scheduled to be launched on Saturday in 19 Iranian provinces, with Isfahan taking on the role of a major host city.
The festival organizers are cinemas in East Azarbaijan, Bushell, Tehran, Chahar Mahal and Bhaktiari, Zanjan, Semnan, Korasan Razabi, South Horasan, Qom, Kermanshah, Kerman, Golestan, Gilan, Mazandanan, Markan, Markan, Markan, Markan, Markan, Markan, Kermanshah, Golestan, Qom, Kermanshah, Kerman and Golestan. It is equipped to showcase selected works and provide a platform for cultural exchange and entertainment.
Return to the local venue continues after a six-year hiatus, during which time the festival is primarily limited to its traditional host city of Isfahan, with limited virtual screenings during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The event will be held until October 8th under the direction of Hamed Jafari and will introduce three main sections. National competitions for feature films, shorts, animation, and more. An international competition to showcase films produced from around the world since 2024. It also focuses on special sections specializing in topics such as children affected by the war, particularly attacks on Israeli Iranian soil, Gaza and other regions, and attacks on the Asian Film Awards.
The national section competes for the prestigious golden plaque, where films compete in artistic merit, innovation and storytelling. Meanwhile, the International Section aims to promote intercultural dialogue and showcase the diversity of global children’s films.
The special section highlights themes related to children experiencing conflict and difficulties, and highlights the festival’s commitment to addressing social issues through film. In previous editions, the festival also introduced new competitive categories, including awards for the most innovative and creative films, awards with important economic potential in related industries, and works that can expand into other sectors such as digital media and virtual platforms.
The festival’s history has exceeded 36 editions since its founding in 1982, indicating its importance as a cultural institution. 21 editions were held in Isfahan, six in Tehran, five in Hamedan, and the other version served as a platform to showcase Iran and international children’s films. The 33rd and 34th editions were held simultaneously in Tehran and Isfahan, and were effectively implemented due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Over the years, the festival was held primarily in October, with occasional editions being held in several other months.
Given the new generation of children and adolescents who grew up immersed in digital technology since their birth, the festival has embarked on important policy reforms since the 32nd edition to better serve and engage this audience. These reforms include the addition of four new competitive sections that introduce awards that recognize digital content such as innovation, economic potential, cultural impact, and web series. These developments aim to enhance the role of filmmaking as a tool for not only artistic expression, but also economic development and cultural diplomacy, highlighting the importance of creating wealth within the film industry and fostering a new generation of filmmakers.
In this context, the festival has also launched an initiative to support young filmmakers through the Youth Filmmakers Olympics held in collaboration with the Farabi Film Foundation and the Iranian Young Cinema Association.
Another important development is the establishment of a video library designed to increase Iran’s share in the global market for children and adolescent films.
International collaboration is the central focus of the festival’s strategic vision. Over the past year, Iran has signed many memorandums of understanding and cooperation agreements with countries such as India, Serbia, Armenia and Pakistan, aiming to strengthen joint production and promote cultural exchange.
sab/