Among the prominent participants in the ceremony were prominent figures such as veteran actors and theater directors Akbar Zanjanpour, Davud Fathalbeji, Ali Reza Ousivand, Hossein Musafer Astana, Farzaneh Nashtkhah, Azita Hajian, Saeed Assadi, Shahram Karami, Behzad Farahani, Parisa Moghadam, Ayoub Aghakhani, Hadi . Marzban, and Lili Ag, among others, dowry reported.
During the ceremony, the “Soldier of the Homeland” logo was unveiled in memory of the martyr, General Qassem Soleimani. Khairallah Taqyanipour and Leili Ag handed over this slogan to the family of the martyr, General of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Razi Mousavi.
For his part, he thanked the son of the martyr Mousavi Taqianipour, pointing out that he worked as an unsung hero in the cultural field and had a role in producing many resistance works. He said: “Just as many of our nation’s soldiers contributed, you artists also made great efforts in the cultural arena.”
General Razi Mousavi was one of the oldest advisors to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Syria and a companion of General Qasem Soleimani. He was martyred in 2023, during an Israeli attack on the Zainabiya area on the outskirts of Damascus.
Moreover, the top winners in the photography, posters and playwriting sections were honored with certificates and commemorative prizes.
The ceremony also honored Mahmoud Baknyat, Fariba Mokhassus, Hoshang Hehavand, and Farida Daryamaj for their achievements in the field of theater.
As the opening ceremony coincided with the birthdays of Akbar Zanjanpour and Behzad Farahani, these two veteran artists blew out the candles on their birthday cakes, marking the celebration of their contributions.
Earlier this month, the festival organizers announced that this edition of the festival received entries from 46 countries around the world.
Mojjan Vakili, director of the festival’s international section, said that a total of 231 acts from 46 countries, including Russia, Norway, Sweden, Canada and several African countries, applied to participate in this year’s event.
However, the international portion of the event is being held as a non-competitive portion. She added: “The decision to host the international section in a non-competitive manner was taken by the festival organizers.”
She said 20 works were prioritized for final selection, culminating in six staged performances and one online presentation.
She added that 15 international trainers applied to conduct workshops at the festival, representing countries such as Canada, France, Africa, Tunisia and India.
She added that after evaluating the quality of the proposed topics, a workshop entitled “Exploring Contemporary Theater” will be held with the participation of a trainer from India, over three days during the festival.
This year’s edition also dedicated a section to the oppressed people of Gaza, which includes performances that will be shown on the stage.
She explained that six theatrical works will be shown in the Gaza section.
The 43rd Fajr International Theater Festival will continue until February 1.
Middle East and North Africa region/
