International Festivals are great windows to a better introduction for Iranian films
According to ICN, Abbas Rafei, mentioning that for a few years people have put their efforts together to sell Iranian short or feature films in other countries, explained: “In order to do this we need to participate in the international film festivals. We can say that we have neglected the marketing affairs for our cinema and we hope that in the new political atmosphere we can enter more titles into the international cycle.”
The director of “Oblivion Season” stated that, after the Revolution, Iran cinema hasn’t tried to present and screen its films in world cinemas, and continued: “There is a committee at the Islamic Guidance Ministry and Farabi Cinema Foundation, but their main effort is to enter our films into the international festivals. Therefore, when the private sector enters this business, it realizes and finds markets which are not touched by Iran cinema yet.” He added: “The world’s image of filmmaking in Iran is limited to the spiritual and conceptual films or films for children and teenagers, due to the efforts of filmmakers such as Abbas Kiarostami. But when other films from Iran found the chance to present themselves, such as Asghar Farhadi’s “A Separation”, which even won the Oscars, they realized that there are films in Iran that can connect deeply with the audience and can severely attract them.”
Rafei continued: “After the film “Butterfly in the Wind” in 2004 and the experience of being at international festivals, I understood that the place for professional Iranian films in the public screenings in the world is empty, and being at the international film festivals can be the better chance and opportunity to present our films to the foreign distributor much better. The goal for the filmmakers should not solely to be present at the festivals, although these festivals are the best ways and windows for introducing our films. We should make the most of them. We should persuade cinema owners to buy our films.”
Abbas Rafei pointed out that in the international film festivals there is a section based on the votes collected by the audience, and when the cinema owners refer to these final results, they select the films to screen. He continued: “Cinema owners know that these films are selected by the people, therefore they will have a good box office. This was my experience, and when my film was selected by the audience, the commercial companies also showed more interest in my film.”
He added: “Unfortunately we couldn’t screen our films in some parts of the world such as the U.S. Now is The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) anniversary, which may have not such a palpable effect on economy, but in the cultural fields, it has made it possible to connect and communicate with the cinema of other countries, especially the U.S.A, more easily. Last year, we have received many awards from the festivals in the U.S.A. This is, in fact, an opportunity which we have to take positively if we ever wish to reach to the point of international screenings and sales for Iranian films.”
Regarding the efforts and activities of the international section of Iran cinema, he said: “There is an international management committee in the government department, but no serious efforts have been done by them regarding the international interactions with other countries. The private sector, being concerned about its capital and its return, tries harder to sell and screen Iranian films in other countries, but the government sector does not concern itself with that challenge; even though the duty of this committee at the ministry and FCF is to facilitate co-production projects, participation at the festivals and international and public screenings.”
He explained: “If a film, such as “A Separation”, has the opportunity to be screened in other countries, it is because a company, such as “Sony Pictures”, has bought and screened it. This is the same with many other titles which have foreigner distributors.”
In the end, he said: “Selling much older Iranian films to authentic TV channels or standard titles to international cinema owners results in yielding a profit(s) to the economy cycle. Even though this is the duty of the governmental sectors, we have been trying to achieve it for some time.”
Translated and Edited: Samareh Khodarahmi
