IRNA – The referee of the 34st International Film Festival (FIFF) described Iranian cinema as quietly well-known in the global festivals.


Talking to IRNA, young female Afghan filmmaker, Sahraa Karimi, said the cinema of Iran has managed to lure a large number of audiences across the globe.

She said Iranian cinema enjoys an independent identity which has made it quite distinct from other cinemas across the globe.

Touching upon the cultural limitation of story telling in the cinema of Iran, she said the Iranian films are highly welcomed among the American and European families.

Karimi described the Iranian cinema as a tool to introduce Iran across the globe, reiterating that Iran was not properly known due to the sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic.

Pointing to the presence of Iranian films in the international festival, she said when an Iranian film is being screened in a festival the salons are flooded with the cinema fans.

Karimi described splitting the Fajr Film Festival into the national and international sections as a positive move.

She added the international section of the Fajr Film Festival is a best venue for introducing the Iranian cinema and becoming acquainted with the international cinema markets.

The young female Afghan filmmaker said the Iranian cinema has opened a window for introducing the country's culture and civilization in the world.

Karimi was grown up in Iran. In her early twenties, she migrated to Slovakia, and spent the next 12 years studying for Bachelor, Master, and Doctorate degrees in film and directing.

When she returned to Afghanistan, she co-founded the Kapila Multimedia House to promote independent cinema and has recently re-opened the Kaluch Kapila Cinema.

Her films, mostly about civil rights issues faced by women in Afghanistan, have won international awards and are frequently screened in international film festivals.