The 16th edition of the Tehran-Ammar popular film festival was officially launched, highlighting the “Civilized Battles of Islamic Iran and the Wild West.”
According to official calls, Iran’s centuries of experience in the face of colonialism, terrorism, sanctions, censorship, war, and cultural penetration could only be comprehensively analyzed by the lens of “civilized conflict.” This ongoing struggle today manifests itself in efforts to portray media wars, distortions in discourse of resistance, attacks on Islamic identities, and revolutionary movements as effective.
The festival’s office emphasizes that in the face of such attacks it is not as effective as the realm of dedicated art, thinking and media.
In the 16th edition, Ammar invites filmmakers, documentants, writers, media activists, social media influencers, grassroots groups and young enthusiasts to contribute to this civilized story and create a diverse work in a variety of formats. Artists, filmmakers and media activists are invited to submit their work by November 6th.
Eligible submissions include feature films (short, medium, full length, telefilm, series, series), documentaries, animation, music videos, television productions (combination, reality-based, documentary contests, news reports), internet programs, social media content (short clips, human-centered pages, content-focused pages), AI-based video productions, and full script or screenplay. The festival emphasizes that all submitted works must be consistent with the principles of the Islamic Revolution and address contemporary social needs, prioritizing themes related to Iran’s civilized struggle against the West.
The festival focuses on a section of themes that reflects Iran’s continued resistance and innovative ideals. One of the main focuses is Iran’s civilized struggle against “Savage West,” including topics such as Zionist attacks on Iranian soil, heroic efforts by martians and scientists, efforts by the Western Empire, efforts by the Western Empire to maintain a reactionary movement within the enlightened intellectual world against Iran’s resistance, Western resistance, and reliable farlayation faction ass of to sit as a withinized factionized as factiated of the batray forrayation.
Another important theme is to highlight the global uprising of oppressed people, grassroots movements around the world, Palestinian resistance, the achievements and challenges of the axis of resistance, and the historical narrative of anti-imperialist struggles in Latin America and Africa.
The festival is also intended to showcase the common struggle between Iranian immigration and the Iranian state, the decline of US hegemony, the emergence of a multipolar world, and the Iranian opportunity to influence this new global order. Additional topics include the internal challenges faced by Iran, such as sedation and internal disorders, as well as the importance of exposing foreign interference and media distortions aimed at destabilizing the country.
The themed sections further extend to celebrating heroic figures within Iranian society, highlighting family, social and political heroes, and the narrative of resilience, hope and community efforts amid the pandemic and natural disasters.
The concept of “sacred unity” is also prominent, focusing on exposing Zionist intruders, supporting resistance martialists, and promoting community-led initiatives in emergencies.
The purpose of this festival is to emphasize justice through the positive resistance to corruption and systematic injustice, the role of the media in the transmission of equity, and the importance of legal and institutional reform. The “Iranian Progress Dreams” section features stories of technology, scientific and economic progress, and presents successful models in a variety of sectors, including nuclear, space, biotechnology and healthcare, along with grassroots management and sports outcomes. The importance of maintaining Iran’s cultural memory is also recognized, with themes covering Iran’s historical resistance, cultural milestones and sacrifices during the Iranian-Iraq war.
The festival also encourages films depicting the resilience of Iran’s economy, including rural capabilities and Islamic economic principles such as interest-free lending, charity and cooperation. Cultural war is another important theme that focuses on facing reactionary movements that distort Islamic identity, traditional family models, youth identity, and revolutionary values.
The role of art in grassroots cultural initiatives, mosques and soft power conflicts is also emphasized.
A notable feature of this year’s festival is the “Our Film” segment, encouraging the public, especially young people, to use mobile phones and home cameras to produce short films in local, community and environmental themes. Participants can register through the official website. The official website provides educational materials to support amateur filmmakers.
The festival also maintains the tradition of community screening, and is held nationwide, where cultural activists, students, religious groups and grassroots organizations can host screenings, participate in local premiers, and engage in film criticism sessions by registering on the festival platform.
The Ammar Popular Film Festival was founded in 2010 by many Iranian revolutionary figures to celebrate films and art products that promote topics such as resistance and revolution. It is named after Ammar Yasir, a close companion of the Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh).
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