Author Archives: socialinform

Iran wins gold at World Youth Chess Olympiad (Photos)

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The World Youth under-16 Chess Olympiad 2016 was held in Slovakia from July 21st to July 30th and attracted 261 players from 40 countries.

Iran faced Slovakia 2, Austria, Canada, Hungary, Armenia, Russia, Belarus, Serbia and Romania. Parham Maghsoodloo, Alireza Firouzja, FM Aryan Gholami, Arash Tahbaz, WFM Anahita Zahedifar and team captain Khosro Harandi finished first winning gold for Iran for the second consecutive year. Silver went to Russia and bronze to Armenia.

The Iranian team achieved very good performances in recent years at this event: 2016 (1st), 2015 (1st), 2014 (3rd), 2013 (8th), 2012 (2nd) and 2011 (3rd). As of August 2016, Iran has five top 100 junior players (FIDE).

Iranian team results after each round
Round 1 – Iran 4 : 0 Slovakia 2
Round 2 – Austria 2 : 2 Iran
Round 3 – Iran 4 : 0 Canada
Round 4 – Hungary 1 : 3 Iran
Round 5 – Iran 3 : 1 Armenia
Round 6 – Russia 1 : 3 Iran
Round 7 – Belarus 1 : 3 Iran
Round 8 – Iran 3 ½ : ½ Serbia
Round 9 – Iran 2 ½ : 1 ½ Romania

Sources: World Youth Chess Olympiad (WYCO) 2016 (Gallery), WYCO 2016 (Results by country), WYCO 2016 (Best players by board), FIDE (Top 100 junior players – Aug. 2016)

Photos: Women’s cross country competition in Shiraz, Iran

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Athletes in adults and youth categories competed in Shiraz, Fars Province to qualify for a place in Iran’s national team.

Sources: Young Journalists Club (YJC) 1, YJC 2, IRNA 1, IRNA 2, ISNA, iribnews.ir, Mehr News Agency, Borna News

Jangal-e Abr: Beautiful cloud forest in northern Iran (Photos)

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Jangal-e Abr (Cloud Forest or Cloud Jungle) is one of the oldest and most beautiful forests in Iran. It is located on the eastern part of Alborz mountains, on the border between the provinces of Semnan and Golestan, 45km north east of Shahrud.

Sprawling on an area of 35,000 hectares, the Cloud Forest is a remnant of the ancient Caspian and Hyrcanian forests, encircling the northern slopes of the Alborz Mountains like a belt, covering the southern coasts of the Caspian Sea. Inside the thick woods, it is hard to imagine that the forest is located in the semi-arid province of Semnan, close to the Central Desert and Khar-Turan National Park.

When the temperature falls, two or three hours before sunset, clouds rush into the forest. They are so thick that you may not see an arm lenght in front of you. Above them Ghale Maran, a peak of high altitude, seems to be floating on the sea of clouds. It is said that there was ancient castle located on top of this mountain, south of Ramian. After a while into the night, the clouds usually scatter away, letting a clear view of the surrounding valleys, if the moon is up.

Sources: ISNA 1, ISNA 2, irpedia.com, financialtribune.com, tishineh.com, iranlandmark.ir, instagram @chamgir, instagram @yasin_0500, instagram @sshnzk, instagram @arsalanpartovi, anobanini.com, Wikipedia | Jangal-e Abr (in Persian)

Hiking in Iran: Landi waterfall in Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari Province (Photos)

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Landi is a 700-inhabitants village surrounded by beautiful nature in Ardal County, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Iran. A one night hiking trip away from a waterfall surrounded by pristine nature.

Photos: Road and hiking trip – From Tehran to Landi Waterfall

Sources: Mehr News, Wikipedia | Landi Village, anobanini.com 1, anobanini.com 2 (in Persian)

Marcos Grigorian’s “Earthworks” on display in Tehran

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Dastan +2 is hosting “Earth Works” by Iranian-Armenian artist Marcos Grigorian. The exhibition will be open from June 10th to July, 2nd.

Marcos (better known as Marco) Grigorian was an Iranian-Armenian artist, actor, teacher, gallery owner, and collector who played a pioneering role in the development of Iranian modern art. As a modernist pop artist, he turned to ordinary objects and popular ethnic forms and approaches. He used ethnic food such as “nan sangak” and “abghousht” to evoke authenticity in his work. Grigorian was a trend setter in experimenting with Earth Art in Iran.

Other posts on Iranian Armenians: https://theotheriran.com/tag/armenian/

Biography
Grigorian was born in Kropotkin, Russia in 1925, to an Armenian family from Kars who had fled that city when it was captured by Turkey in 1920. The family moved to Iran when Grigorian was five, living first in Tabriz, then Tehran and settling later in Julfa, the Armenian district of Isfahan. In 1940 his family moved back to Tehran where he attended Alborz College and later Kamal-al-Molk Art School in 1948.

After finishing pre-university education in Iran, in 1950, Grigorian went to Rome, and enrolled at the Academia di Belle Arti. He studied with cubist sculptor Roberto Melli (1885-1958). Upon graduation in 1954, he returned to Iran and opened Gallery Esthetique, one of the first modern galleries in Tehran.

In 1958, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, he organized the first Tehran Biennial. Grigorian was also an influential teacher at the Fine Arts Academy, where he disseminated his enthusiasm for local popular culture, including coffee-house paintings, a type of folk art named after the locations in which they were often displayed.

In 1959, after two years of intensive work, Grigorian completed a succession of enormous murals centering on the topic of the Holocaust. During the same period, he started applying dirt to the center of his canvases. This became the starting point of his celebrated “Earthworks Series”.

In 1960 he started acting in several Iranian films as Gregory Mark. An energetic and talented performer, he played villains in many movies, soon specializing in anti-hero roles and conspicuously contrary characters.

After moving to the USA in 1962 Grigorian started a new phase in his artistic career. He worked and lived in New York until 1970, when he returned to Tehran and joined the Faculty of Fine Arts at Tehran University. Grigorian left Iran in 1977.

In 1980 he returned to New York and established Arshile Gorky Gallery, named after the Armenian abstract expressionist painter who committed suicide in the U.S.A. in 1948. There he exhibited the works of Iranian and Armenian artists for several years.

In 1986 Grigorian lost his daughter to a massive heart attack. The tragedy caused a shift in Grigorian’s entire perspective and artistic priorities. He immersed himself in his other passion, that of Armenian folk art and rug weaving. He later donated 5,000 of his artworks to the government of Armenia.

In 1993 established the “Sabrina Near East Museum of Yerevan”, where he housed his own works and exquisite collection. Known as the Middle East Museum, the Museum displays 2,600 exhibits containing works of Russian, European and Middle Eastern applied arts. In particular the Persian Section is unique. Persian Pre-Islamic Zoroastrian culture, Islamic culture, Ghadjarac art is on display as well.

Some of his works are now on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Kerman, and the National Gallery of Armenia. Grigorian died on August 2007 in Yerevan, Armenia.

Sources: dastan+2, Facebook | Dastan’s Basement, HonarOnline, Encyclopaedia Iranica | Grigorian, Marcos, Wikipedia | Marcos Grigorian, armeniainfo.am

Iranian movies at Munich Filmfest

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A lineup of Iranian movies will go on screen from June 23rd to July 2nd in various sections of the 34th Filmfest München.

Asghar Farhadi’s acclaimed drama “The Salesman” will be shown in the CineMasters Competition. The social drama won awards for best screenplay and best actor at the 69th Cannes Film Festival in May.

Two other highlights will go on screen in the International Independents section: “Avalanche” by Morteza Farshbaf and “Yahya Didn’t Keep Quiet” by Kaveh Ebrahimpur.

The festival is also presenting a retrospective of Bahman Ghobadi’s work with films like “A time for drunken horses” (2000), “Turtles can fly” (2004), “No one knows about Persian cats” (2009), and “Rhino season” (2012).

Bahman Ghobadi is an Iranian film director of Kurdish ethnicity born in 1969 in Baneh, near the Iraqi border. He belongs to the “new wave” of Iranian cinema. His first feature film “A time for drunken horses” won the Camera d’Or in Cannes in 2000.

Iranian film “No one knows about Persian Cats” by Bahman Ghobadi (2009)
Iranian film “A time for drunken horses” by Bahman Ghobadi (Zamani barayé masti asbha, 2000)
Iranian film “Avalanche” by Morteza Farshbaf (Bahman, 2015)
Iranian film “Rhino season” by Bahman Ghobadi (Fasle Kargadan, 2012)
Iranian film “The Salesman” by Asghar Farhadi (Forushande, 2016)
Iranian film “Yahya didn’t keep quiet” by Kaveh Ebrahimpour (Yahya sokoot nakard, 2015)

Source: Filmfest München | Iranian Films, Tehran Times

“The Salesman” crew received a warm welcome in Iran after winning two awards at Cannes Festival (Photos)

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Filmmaker Asghar Farhadi and actors Shahab Hosseini and Taraneh Alidoosti got an overwhelming welcome in Tehran after arriving home from the 69th Cannes Film Festival, where Farhadi won the best screenplay prize and Shahab Hosseini received the Palme d’Or for best actor.

The film, whose screenplay was also written by Farhadi, is about Emad (Hosseini) and Rana (Taraneh Alidoosti) who move into a new flat in the center of Tehran. An incident linked to the previous tenant dramatically changes the young couple’s life.

Shahab Hosseini and Asghar Farhadi had worked together in “A Separation“. The first Iranian film to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2012. “A Separation” also won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film and the Golden Bear for Best Film and the Silver Bears for Best Actress and Best Actor (Shahab Hosseini and Peyman Moaadi), becoming the first Iranian film to win the Golden Bear. Farhadi’s “The Past” (Le Passé) had been nominated for a Palme d’Or in 2013.

Iranian film “The Salesman” by Asghar Farhadi (Forushande, 2016)

Sources: Festival de Cannes, Tehran Times 1, Payvand Iran News, Wikipedia | A Separation, Facebook | Festival de Cannes – Page Officielle, Tehran Times 2, Mehr News Agency 1, ISCA, Tehran Picture Agency, Mehr News Agency 2,

Photo Series: Spring in Iran – Ardabil Province

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The province of Ardabil is located in the north-west of Iran, bordering the Republic of Azerbaijan and the provinces of East Azarbaijan, Zanjan and Gilan. The Talesh mountain range on the east separates Ardabil from Gilan. The majority of its population are Azeris.

The origins of the city Ardabil go back 4000 to 6000 years, but its golden age was in the Safavid period. The name of Ardabil came from a Zoroastrian name of “Artavil” (mentioned in Avesta) which means a holy place. Meshgin Shahr, called “Khiav”, “Orami”, and “Varavi” in the past, is the closest city to the Sabalan mountains.

Sabaland, an inactive volcano in the Alborz mountains, is Ardabil’s most famous natural region but the province offers many other beautiful natural landscapes, mineral and hot springs (Sareyn, Khalkhal, Sardabeh, Booshli) and lakes (Neor, Shoorabil, Shoorgel, Noushahr, Alooche).

The weather in the province varies drastically. The city of Ardabil has very cold winters (-23°C) and very pleasant summers. Bilasuar and Parsabad have hot summers and warm winters. But generally this province is considered the coldest province in Iran though large parts of the province are green and forested.

Other nature posts: The other Iran | Nature

Sources: Iran Chamber Society, Wikipedia | Ardabil Province, IRNA 1, IRNA 2, Tasnim News Agency (TNA) 1, TNA 2, ISNA

Rio 2016: Iran men’s volleyball team realise Olympic dream after 52 years of waiting (Photos)

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Iran achieved a historic feat as they earned their first-ever Olympic Games qualification, after they handed world champion Poland their first defeat in the tournament 3-1 (25-20, 25-18, 20-25, 34-32) at Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.

Hosts Japan were joined by the three best ranked Asian teams (Iran, Australia and China), the second and third teams from the European Olympic Qualification Tournament (France and Poland), as well as the second placed teams from the South American and NORCECA Olympic Qualification Tournaments (Venezuela and Canada).

Mohammad Mousavi was the tournament’s best blocker, Saeid Marouf was best setter and Milad Ebadipour was best receiver.

The foundation of the current Iranian team was created nearly 10 years ago. At that time, Iran was 26th in the FIVB Rankings, behind other Asian teams. Today, Iran is ranked 8th in the world  and, as the strongest Asian team, they have won the 2011 and 2013 Asian Volleyball Championships and the 2014 Asian Games.

Iran team’s manager, Mr. Khoshkhabar, in the changing room after the match against Poland: He promised the team that he would shave his beard off when Iran qualified for Olympics.

Sources: FIVB, FIVB Men World Olympic Qualification Tournament (WOQT) Japan 2016, WOQT Japan 2016, The Japan Times, Wikipedia | Iran men’s national volleybal team, FIVB World Rankings (2015.10), WOQT Japan 2016 (Iran-Venezuela), WOQT Japan 2016 (Iran-Poland), Tasnim News Agency (Iran-Poland), Tasnim News Agency (Iran-Japan), WOQT Japan 2016 (Iran-France)

Tehran was turned again into an art gallery (Photos)

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Tehran hosted for its second consecutive year “A Gallery as big as a City”, an art event that turns the Iranian capital into a city-wide gallery where large-scale reproductions of hundreds of well-known artworks – both Western and Iranian – hang randomly along the city’s main arteries.

800 copies of artworks by artists across the world have been put on display on 2000 billboards in Tehran. Some of the billboards are dedicated to pictures of objects of cultural heritage, such as reproductions of traditional Persian miniatures, carpets and calligraphy but other also to paintings of Iranian artists like Jafar Rouhbakhsh.

Two-third of the works are from Iran and the rest have been selected from the world’s major artists, some of which may be famous enough to be recognized by nearly half of the population, such as Van Gogh’s The Starry Night or Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Other international artists included are Americans Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol, Austrians Egon Schiele and Joseph Anton Koch, Belgian René Magritte, British Lucian Freud, French Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse, Germans Käthe Kollwitz and Caspar David Friedrich and Paul Klee, Italians Leonardo da Vinci (The last supper), Giorgio de Chirico, Japanese Gyokusen (artist name: Gyokkei) and Katsushika Hokusai and Spanish Pablo Picasso.

Related article: The other Iran | Photos compilation: A gallery as big as Tehran

Sources: kojaro.com, IRNA, shahrekhabar.com, Tehran Picture Agency, Payvand Iran News 1, Payvand Iran News 2, Hamshari Photo Agency, Iran Economist, Etemad Online, zibasazi.ir 1, zibasazi.ir 2, zibasazi.ir 3, zibasazi.ir 4, zibasazi.ir 5, zibasazi.ir 6, Tehran Times, sothebys.com

 

Iranian cartoonist wins top award at contest in Luxembourg

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The theme of the 9th International Contest of Caricature and Cartoon in Vianden, Luxembourg was “My Home Is My Castle”. A six-member jury selected the three winners and three trophies from 1312 submitted drawings by 504 artists from 33 countries, including caricaturists and cartoonists from Russia, Syria, Turkey, Poland, Portugal, Nicaragua, Peru, many artists from Iran, China, Croatia, Germany, Canada, Cuba, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Ukraine.

Iranian cartoonist Mohammad Habibi has won the first prize, Angel Boligan from Mexico and Klaus Pitter Austria were awarded the second and third prizes. Agim Sulaj from Italy, Raúl Zuleta from Colombia and Zbigniew Kolaczek from Poland received honorable mentions.

The winning works and a selection of entries were displayed at the Museum of Caricature and Cartoon of Vianden. The museum was initiated by Florin Balaban and his wife Sandra. Balaban is a known Luxembourgian political cartoonist.

Sources: Payvand Iran News, Der Trierer (in German),

Photo Series: Spring in Iran – North Khorasan Province

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North Khorasan Province, located in northeastern Iran with Bojnord as its capital, is one of the most multicultural territories in the country: Kurdish speakers make a 46.1% of the population, followed by Persian speakers (27.8%), Khorasani Turks (20.6%), Turkmens (3.3%) and other Iranians (2.2%).

Early spring days across North Khorasan Province – Photo credit: BORNA News Agency
Early spring days across North Khorasan Province – Photo credit: BORNA News Agency
Early spring days across North Khorasan Province – Photo credit: BORNA News Agency
Early spring days across North Khorasan Province – Photo credit: BORNA News Agency
Early spring days across North Khorasan Province – Photo credit: BORNA News Agency
Early spring days across North Khorasan Province – Photo credit: BORNA News Agency
Early spring days across North Khorasan Province – Photo credit: BORNA News Agency

Photos: Early spring days across North Khorasan Province (Borna)

Sources: Wikipedia | North Khorasan, Borna News Agency

Tehran Contemporary Music Festival (Photos)

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The first edition of the Tehran International Contemporary Music Festival was held last April at Roudaki Hall (Vahdat Hall), Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art and Iranian Artists’ Forum. The festival, an independent cultural and artistic endeavor that is planned to be held annually, included lectures about contemporary music and art in general, different stage performances and experimental improvised presentations by more than thirty ensembles.

A wide spectrum of national musicians like Mehdi Behboudi, Mohammadreza Govahi, Sina Shoaei, Siavash Sojoudi, Kian Hosseini, groups like “Arvand”, “A4” and “Trans-Modern” string quartets, “O.R.P. Quartet” and “Anil Guitar Quartet”, along flute recitals by Firouzeh Navaei and Ali Choupani, violin by Arash Asadnejad, guitar by Farzin Tehranian, double bass by Farshid Patinian and more performed at the week-long event.

The festival welcomed also many artists from abroad, including Geert Callaert (Piano) and Bert Helsen (Bassoon) from Belgium, the Stockholm Saxophone Quartet, Opia Ensemble with Aleksandra Pykacz (Cello) from Poland and Ioana Mandrescu (Piano) from Romania, Reso Kiknadze from Georgia (Saxophone and Free Improvisation), Lugano Ensemble from Switzerland and Martyna Kosecka (Piano and Electronics) from Poland.

Sources: Tehran Contemporary Music Frestival, Iran Daily, Facebook | Spectro Center,
(in Persian): tiwall.com, musicema.com 1, musicema.com 2, musicema.com 3, musicema.com 4, musicema.com 5, Honar Online 1, Honar Online 2, Honar Online 3, Honar Online 4, Honar Online 5, Honar Online 6, Honar Online 7, Honar Online 8, Honar Online 9, Honar Online 10

Iran wins multiple medals at Asian Youth Chess Championship 2016 in Mongolia

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The Asian Youth Chess Championship 2016 was held in April in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. More than 470 players from 18 countries competed in blitz, rapid and classical chess.

Iran got twenty three top 10 spots and took home a total of eight medals. Artin Ashraf was the most succesful Iranian player winning two times gold (u8 Open, u8 Open Rapid) and Mobina Alinasab was the most succesful Iranian girl winning one gold and one silver medal (u16 Girls, u16 Girls Blitz). Mersad Khodashenas won one gold and one bronze (u18 Open, u18 Open Blitz), Arash Tahbaz one gold (u16 Open), Mahdi Gholami Orimi one silver (u14 Open Blitz) and Nima Ferendeski one bronze medal (u16 Open Blitz).

Detailed results
Fatemeh Mashhadi (4th U8 Girls Blitz, 6th U8 Girls, 32nd U8 Girls Rapid)
Artin Ashraf (1st U8 Open, 1st U8 Open Rapid, 16th U8 Open Blitz)

Fatemeh Khodadadi (4th U10 Girls, 19th U10 Girls Blitz, 23rd U10 Girls Rapid)
Soshiyant Nejatpour (11th U10 Open Blitz, 19th U10 Open, 22U10 Open Rapid)

Seyede Setare Sebt Rasoul (6th U12 Girls Blitz, 7th U12 Girls Rapid, 9th U12 Girls)
Mani Jahedi (4th U12 Open Blitz, 6th U12 Open Rapid, 14th U12 Open)

Mitra Asgharzadeh (8th U14 Girls, 25th U14 Girls Rapid, 29th U14 Girls Blitz)
Mahdi Gholami Orimi (2nd U14 Open Blitz, 4th U14 Open, 23rd U14 Open Rapid)

Mobina Alinasab (1st U16 Girls, 2nd U16 Girls Blitz, 21st U16 Girls Rapid)
Nima Ferendeski (3rd U16 Open Blitz, 7th U16 Open Rapid, 14th U16 Open)
Arash Tahbaz (1st U16 Open, 5th U16 Open Blitz, 13th U16 Open Rapid)

Mohadeseh Alijanzadeh (6th U18 Girls Rapid, 9th U18 Girls, 12th U18 Girls Blitz)
Mersad Khodashenas (1st U18 Open, 3rd U18 Open Blitz)
Seyed Khalil Mousavi (19th U18 Open)

Sources: chess-results.com (Blitz), chess-results.com (Rapid), chess-results.com (Classical chess), Facebook | Asian Youth Chess Championship 2016 – Mongolia

Iran’s Fajr International Film Festival – Winners (Photos)

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The closing ceremony of 34th Fajr International Film Festival was held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall. 150 international guests from 20 countries attended the festival, watched films and participated at different sections of the six day long event.

In the main competition section, “Rams”, a humanist drama by Icelandic director Grimur Hákonarson, won the Golden Simorgh for Best Film and its protagonists, actors Sigurður Sigurjónsson and Theódór Júlíusson, shared the Best Actor award. “Frenzy” by Emin Alper from Turkey was awarded the Silver Simorgh for Best Director and Iranian actress Pantea Panahiha won the Best Actress award for her role in “Breath” by Narges Abyar.

Spanish film “Amama: When a tree falls” written and directed by Asier Altuna Iza won the Silver Simorgh for Best Script. “Arvand” by Iranian director Pouria Azarbayjani received the Special Jury Prize. “Seen” by Soheil Amirsharifi from Iran won the Best Short Film award.

In Eastern Vista Kazakh filmmaker Yerlan Nurmukhambetov received the Best Film Trophy for “Walnut Tree”. “Madam Courage” by Algerian director Merzak Allouache won the Best Director award. Iranian documentary “A157” by Behroz Nouranjipour received a Special Mention.

Winners of the 34th Fajr International Film Festival held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall, Iran (Photo credit: Mitra Samavaki / Young Journalists Club)
Best Actress Silver Simorgh winner Pantea Panahiha for her role in “Breath” by Narges Abyar at the 34th Fajr International Film Festival held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall, Iran (Photo credit: Mitra Samavaki / Young Journalists Club)
Music performance at the closing ceremony of the 34th Fajr International Film Festival held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall, Iran (Photo credit: IRNA)
Iranian director Mehdi Ghorbanpour winner of the Interfaith Award for “Zemnaco” at the 34th Fajr International Film Festival held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall, Iran (Photo credit: Vahid Khodadi / Azad News Agency)
Interfaith Award Special Mention Diploma for “Hasti” by Iranian director Kamal Parnak at the 34th Fajr International Film Festival held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall, Iran (Photo credit: Armin Karami / Fars News Agency)
“Love marriage in Kabul” directed by Amin Palangi was the winner in the Muhammad Al-Ameen category at the 34th Fajr International Film Festival held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall, Iran (Photo credit: Vahid Khodadi / Azad News Agency)
“Walnut tree” by Kazakh director Yerlan Nurmukhambetov won the Best Film Trophy in the Eastern View section at the 34th Fajr International Film Festival held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall, Iran (Photo credit: IRNA)
“Madam Courage” by Algerian director Merzak Allouache won the Best Director Trophy in the Eastern View section at the 34th Fajr International Film Festival held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall, Iran (Photo credit: Vahid Khodadi / Azad News Agency)
“A157” by Iranian director Behrooz Nouranjipour received a Special Mention in the Eastern View section at the 34th Fajr International Film Festival held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall, Iran (Photo credit: Mahmood Hosseini / Tasnim News Agency)
Best Film Golden Simorgh was awarded to “Rams” by Icelandic director Grimu Hákonarson at the 34th Fajr International Film Festival held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall, Iran (Photo credit: Ali Najib / ISCA News)
Best Director Silver Simorgh was awarded to “Frenzy” by Turkish director Emin Alper at the 34th Fajr International Film Festival held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall, Iran (Photo credit: Vahid Khodadi / Azad News Agency)
Best Actress Silver Simorgh winner Pantea Panahiha for her role in “Breath” by Narges Abyar at the 34th Fajr International Film Festival held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall, Iran (Photo credit: Vahid Khodadi / Azad News Agency)
Best Actor Silver Simorgh was shared by Icelandic actors Sigurður Sigurjónsson and Theódór Júlíusson for ther role in “Rams” at the 34th Fajr International Film Festival held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall, Iran (Photo credit: Ali Najib / ISCA News)
Best Script Silver Simorgh was awarded to “Amama: When a tree falls” written and directed by Asier Altuna Iza at the 34th Fajr International Film Festival held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall, Iran (Photo credit: IRNA)
Special Jury Prize Silver Simorgh was awarded to “Arvand” by Iranian director Pouria Azarbayjani at the 34th Fajr International Film Festival held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall, Iran (Photo credit: Ali Najib / ISCA News)
Best Short Film Silver Simorgh was awarded to “Seeing” by Iranian director Soheil Amirsharifi at the 34th Fajr International Film Festival held at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall, Iran (Photo credit: Babak Borzouye / Mehr News Agency)

“Zemnaco” by Iranian director Mehdi Ghorbanpour won the Interfaith Award. “Hasti” directed by Kamal Parnak from Iran and “Love Marriage in Kabul” by Australian filmmaker Amin Palangi received a Special Mention Diploma. His film was the winner in the Muhammad Al-Ameen section.

“Dawn” by Latvian director Laila Pakalnina was awarded the Trophy for Best Film and “Figura” directed by Katarzyna Gondek from Poland received the   Trophy for Best Short Film in the Art and Experience category.

The 34th edition of Fajr International Film Festival was held from April 20th to April 25th, 2016 in Tehran’s Charsou Cineplex, under supervision of Iranian filmmaker, Reza Mirkarimi, current Managing Director of Khaneh Cinema, Iran’s Alliance of Motion Picture Associations.

Sources: FIFF 2016, Azad News Agency, Borna News, Fars News, IRNA, ISCA, ISNA, Mehr News Agency (MNA) 1, MNA 2, Tasnim News Agency, Young Journalists Club

Rio 2016: Iran secured three table tennis spots (Photos)

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The 2016 Asian Table Tennis Olympic Qualification Tournament was held this April in Hong Kong, with a total of eleven places available in each of the Men’s Singles and Women’s Singles events, divided into East Asia, South East Asia, South Asia, West Asia and Middle Asia Zones.

Neda Shahsavari and Nima Alamian got two direct spots to Rio 2016, as winners in the Middle Asia Zone. Noshad Alamiyan had to face his brother Nima in the finals and lost. However, in the second stage, he recorded a 4-1 success over Hong Kong’s Jiang Tianyi, securing Iran’s third Olympic spot.

Rio 2016 will mark Nima Alamian’s first appearance at the Olympic Games. Noshad Alamiyan and Neda Shahsavari will participate for the second time. Shahsavari became in London 2012 the first woman to represent Iran in table tennis at the Olympic Games.

Earlier this year, the Iranian women’s team surprised many as they got the gold medal in the third division of the 54th World Team Table Tennis Championships in Malaysia. The trio formed by Mahjobeh Omrani, Neda Shahsavari and Maryam Samet recorded a three matches to nil win against Uzbekistan.

The World Team Championships are played on a “Division” system with 24 teams in each of the first three divisions while all other teams form a 4th Division. The first division is also the Championship Division as only teams in this division can compete for the title of World Champions.

Photos: Iranian table tennis players at 2016 ITTF Asia Olympic Games Qualification Tournament and Iran women’s table tennis team at 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championship in Malysia

Sources: Mehr News Agency (MNA) 1, MN 2, ittf.com 1, Flicker | ITTF World, hktta.org.hk, ittf.com 2, MNA 3, ittf.com 3, IRNA, perfectwttc2016.com.my

Iran’s Tehran Province: Park-e Shahr in Tehran

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Park-e Shahr, literally the City Park, is one of the oldest parks in Tehran, located just a few blocks north of the Grand Bazaar. The park covers over 25 hectares and, besides its 17.3 hectares dedicated to green space, it houses a lake, a library, a small aviary garden and a traditional restaurant.

The Tehran Peace Museum, a member of the International Network of Museums for Peace, is also located within Park-e Shahr. The main objective of the museum is to promote a culture of peace through raising awareness about the devastating consequences of war. The museum coordinates a peace education program that holds workshops on humanitarian law, disarmament, tolerance, and peace education.

Park-e Shahr (City Park) in spring – Photo: Shayan Mehrabi / Tehran Picture Agency
Park-e Shahr (City Park) in spring – Photo: Shayan Mehrabi / Tehran Picture Agency
Park-e Shahr (City Park) in spring – Photo: Shayan Mehrabi / Tehran Picture Agency
Park-e Shahr (City Park) in spring – Photo: Shayan Mehrabi / Tehran Picture Agency
Park-e Shahr (City Park) in spring – Photo: Shayan Mehrabi / Tehran Picture Agency
Park-e Shahr (City Park) in spring – Photo: Shayan Mehrabi / Tehran Picture Agency
Park-e Shahr (City Park) in spring – Photo: Shayan Mehrabi / Tehran Picture Agency
Park-e Shahr (City Park) in spring – Photo: Shayan Mehrabi / Tehran Picture Agency
Park-e Shahr (City Park) in spring – Photo: Shayan Mehrabi / Tehran Picture Agency
Park-e Shahr (City Park) in spring – Photo: Shayan Mehrabi / Tehran Picture Agency
Park-e Shahr (City Park) in spring – Photo: Hamed Farajollah / Tehran Picture Agency
Park-e Shahr (City Park) in spring – Photo: Hamed Farajollah / Tehran Picture Agency
Park-e Shahr (City Park) in spring – Photo: Hamed Farajollah / Tehran Picture Agency
Park-e Shahr (City Park) in spring – Photo: Hamed Farajollah / Tehran Picture Agency
Park-e Shahr (City Park) in spring – Photo: Hamed Farajollah / Tehran Picture Agency
Park-e Shahr (City Park) in spring – Photo: Hamed Farajollah / Tehran Picture Agency
Park-e Shahr (City Park) in spring – Photo: Hamed Farajollah / Tehran Picture Agency

Sources: Wikipedia | Park-e Shahr, The Culture Trip, Untold Iran, Tehran Picture Agency (TPA) 1, TPA 2, Wikipedia | Tehran Peace Museum

Fajr International Film Festival: Overview (Photos)

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A wide range of movies, documentaries and shorts by directors from around the globe were screened this April during the 34th Fajr International Film Festival.

Fifteen featured films competed in the official section, including “Guaraní” by Luis Zorraquín (Argentina, Paraguay), “1944” by Elmo Nüganen (Estonia, Finland), “El Clásico” by Halkawt Mustafa (Iraq, Norway), “Norfolk” by Martin Radich (United Kingdom) and “The Treasure” by Corneliu Porumboiu (Romania, France), the winner of the Prix Un Certain Talent prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2015. (Details: FIFF 2016 | International competition | Featured films)

This section also included eighteen short films from Argentina, Belarus, Belgium, Czech Republic, Iran, Ireland, Russian Federation, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom and Venezuela. (Details: FIFF 2016 | International competition | Short films)

Directors Majid Majidi and Nasser Taqvai from Iran, Chinese filmmaker and producer Tian Zhuangzhuang, Spanish director José Luis Guerín, producers Ivo Felt from Estonia and Zeynep Ozbatur Atakan from Turkey and Canadian writer Emmanuel Prevost were the official competition’s jury members.

Eastern Vista, a segment dedicated to films from Asian and Muslim nations, included “Solomon” by Zaza Khalvashi from Georgia and “My Sister, the Pig Lady” by Jang Moon-il from South Korea. A jury formed by Iranian actress Golab Adine, Afghan filmmaker Sahra Karimi, Indian actor and producer Jaaved Jaaferi, French-Moroccan director Ismael Feroukhi and Italian writer Teresa Cavina selected the winners of Best Asian Film and Best Asian Director from a total of sixteen movies from twelve different countries. (Full list: FIFF 2016 | Eastern Vista)

Directors Andrew Lau from Hong Kong, Alexander Sokurov from Russia and French journalist and critic Jean-Michel Frodon attended the festival. Special Screenings, a section focusing on documentaries, presented Sokurov’s new feature, Francofonia and Jia Zhang-ke by Brazilian director Walter Salles, writtern by Salles and Frodon. (Full list: FIFF 2016 | Special screenings)

Ten films were screened outside competition, including “The Assassin”, a martial arts drama by Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsien and “Lamb” by American director Ross Partridge. (Full list: FIFF 2016 | Festival of Festivals)

The festival highlighted French cinema, as one of its side section programs, screening “The Fear” by Damian Odoul (2015), “Rabid Dogs” by Eric Hannezo (2015), “The Little Prince” by Mark Osborne (2015), “The Measure of a Man” by Stéphane Brizé (2015), “The Clearstream Affair” by Vincent Garenq (2014) and “Anton Chekhov 1890” Rene Feret (2015).

A restored version of Dariush Mehrjui’s acclaimed 1969 drama “The Cow” was screened along with “The Lover’s Wind” by French filmmaker Albert Lamorisse (1978) and “The Country of Lion and Sun: Persia” by Vladimir Erofeev (1935). A photo exhibition with selected scenes of “The Cow” and “The Lover’s Wind” was also held at Charsou Cineplex.

A number of top Iranian cineastes, including Oscar-winning director Asghar Farhadi , actress Fatemeh Motamed-Arya, actor Reza Kianian and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Majid Majidi, have held a series of workshops on the sidelines of the festival. Over 100 students from Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Iran attended the six-day workshop program entitled “Dar ul-Funun”, the name of the Iranian polytechnic established in 1851.

The 34th edition of Fajr International Film Festival was held from April 20th to April 25th, 2016 in Tehran’s Charsou Cineplex, under supervision of Iranian filmmaker, Reza Mirkarimi, current Managing Director of Khaneh Cinema, Iran’s Alliance of Motion Picture Associations.

Sources: Tehran Times, Fajr International Film Festival, kinokultura.com, Mehr News Agency (MNA) 1, MNA 2, Young Journalists Club (YJC) 1, YJC 2, YJC 3, YJC 4, YJC 5, YJC 6, Azad News Agency (ANA) 1, ANA 2, Borna News Agency (BNA) 1, BNA 2, BNA 3, BNA 4, BNA 5, BNA 6, Fars News Agency (FNA) 1, FNA 2, FNA 3, FNA 4, IRNA 1, IRNA 2, IRNA 3, IRNA 4, IRNA 5, IRNA 6. IRNA 7, IRNA 8, ISCA 1, ISCA 2, ISNA 1, ISNA 2, ISNA 3, ISNA 4, ISNA 5, ISNA 6, ISNA 7, Tasnim News Agency (TNA) 1, TNA 2, TNA 3, TNA 4, TNA 5, TNA 6, TNA 7, TNA 8, TNA 9, Borna News Agency (BNA) 1, BNA 2, BNA 3, BNA 4, BNA 5, BNA 6, Tehran Picture Agency (TPA) 1, TPA 2, TPA 3, TPA 4, TPA 5

Painting exhibition by Iranian students in Tehran

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“Jokal”, a national art festival organized by Tehran University of Art addressed to young artists, was launched at Pardis Mellat Gallery in Tehran.

The members of the jury, veteran Iranian artists Farah Ossouli, Behnam Kamrani, Babak Etminani, Masoumeh Mozaffari and Jamal Arabzadeh, selected 79 out of 1.212 submitted works.

Sources: Financial Tribune, Honar Online 1, Honar Online 2, Honar Online 3 (in Persian)

Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide in Iran (Photos)

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Iranian Armenians rallied to commemorate the 101st anniversary of the Armenian genocide by the Ottoman Empire, demanding the Turkish government to recognize the Armenian Genocide. In Tehran a memorial service was held at the St. Sarkis Cathedral.

Related article: The other Iran | Iranian Armenians rally in Tehran to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide

Sources: Mehr News Agency, Azad News Agency, Jam-e Jam Online, Tasnim News Agency, Young Journalists Club

Iran’s Alborz Province: Dizin Ski Resort hosts snowboard competition (Photos)

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Iran hosted earlier this month a snowboard and freestyle ski competition event in Dizin Ski Resort, north of the capital Tehran. Eight female and twenty eight male athletes competed alongside, defying the unexpected, unfavorable weather conditions at the beginning of the tournament.

Dizin, established in 1969, is one of the larger Iranian ski resorts in the Alborz mountain range, 120km from Tehran by car. The ski season in Dizin lasts from December to May, because of the resort’s high altitude.

Related article: The other Iran | Dizin Ski Resort

Snowboard competition in Dizin Ski Resort, Iran – April, 2016 (Photo credit: IRNA)
Snowboard competition in Dizin Ski Resort, Iran – April, 2016 (Photo credit: IRNA)
Snowboard competition in Dizin Ski Resort, Iran – April, 2016 (Photo credit: IRNA)
Snowboard competition in Dizin Ski Resort, Iran – April, 2016 (Photo credit: Mohammad Moheimany / Mehr News Agency)
Snowboard competition in Dizin Ski Resort, Iran – April, 2016 (Photo credit: Mohammad Moheimany / Mehr News Agency)
Snowboard competition in Dizin Ski Resort, Iran – April, 2016 (Photo credit: Mehr News Agency)
Snowboard competition in Dizin Ski Resort, Iran – April, 2016 (Photo credit: Mehr News Agency)
Snowboard competition in Dizin Ski Resort, Iran – April, 2016 (Photo credit: Mehr News Agency)
Snowboard competition in Dizin Ski Resort, Iran – April, 2016 (Photo credit: Mehr News Agency)
Snowboard competition in Dizin Ski Resort, Iran – April, 2016 (Photo credit: Abbas Shariati / Tasnim News Agency)
Snowboard competition in Dizin Ski Resort, Iran – April, 2016 (Photo credit: Abbas Shariati / Tasnim News Agency)
Snowboard competition in Dizin Ski Resort, Iran – April, 2016 (Photo credit: Amir Farzaneh / Young Journalists Club)
Snowboard competition in Dizin Ski Resort, Iran – April, 2016 (Photo credit: Amir Farzaneh / Young Journalists Club)
Snowboard competition in Dizin Ski Resort, Iran – April, 2016 (Photo credit: Amir Farzaneh / Young Journalists Club)
Snowboard competition in Dizin Ski Resort, Iran – April, 2016 (Photo credit: IRNA)
Snowboard competition in Dizin Ski Resort, Iran – April, 2016 (Photo credit: IRNA)

Sources: IRNA, Mehr News Agency (MNA) 1, MNA 2, Tasnim News Agency, Fars News Agency, Young Journalists Club, ISNA, PressTV

French orchestra touring in Iran

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The Orchestre de l’Alliance, under the baton of Pejman Memarzadeh, performed at Vahdat Hall in Tehran earlier this week. Other performances are scheduled in the Iranian cities of Isfahan, Kerman and Shiraz.

In 1995 Pejman Memarzadeh, conductor and cellist of Iranian origin, founded the Association Les Musiciens de la Prée, with the aim of proposing a humanistic and innovative approach to classical music. In 2000 it became the Orchestre de l’Alliance.

All music related posts on the blog: https://theotheriran.com/tag/music/

Orchestre de l’Alliance rehearsing in Tehran, Iran (2016) – Photo credit: Javad Hadi / Fars News Agency
Orchestre de l’Alliance rehearsing in Tehran, Iran (2016) – Photo credit: Javad Hadi / Fars News Agency
Orchestre de l’Alliance rehearsing in Tehran, Iran (2016) – Photo credit: Javad Hadi / Fars News Agency
Orchestre de l’Alliance rehearsing in Tehran, Iran (2016) – Photo credit: Javad Hadi / Fars News Agency

Sources: Tavoos Online, Wikipedia | Orchestre de l’Alliance, Fars News, Honar Online