Fajr Festival Great Chance to Watch Oriental Films: Italian Director

Italian director, screenwriter and actor Italo Spinelli believes that the focus of cinema is moving from the West to the East, and Iran’s Fajr International Film Festival is the best place to watch Oriental movies.

Spinelli believes that the festival is dedicated to Asian films and serves as a link between the cinema of Italy and the cinema of Asia.

Here is an interview conducted with the renowned Italian filmmaker:

Q: Have you participated in Fajr Festival before?

A: Yes. I have come here many times since 2000. I come to Iran for Fajr and Verite festivals. Fajr is a great and interesting festival that gives me the opportunity to watch and pick Iranian films.

Q: You must have seen a lot of Iranian films. What is your opinion about the Iranian cinema?

A: I think your cinema is one of the best ones in the world. It has a long history and high quality. There are good directors here.

I can make a huge list of my favourite Iranian directors, especially the contemporary ones. There are many great names such as Asghar Farhadi, Abbas Kiarostami and the young director Reza Dormishian. Iranian director’s films are very wonderful and they are very talented. It’s difficult to name them all.

The 37th Fajr International Film Festival was opened in the Iranian capital Tehran on Wednesday, April 17. A showcase for audiences for more than three decades, the Festival is hosting over 250 international guests from 58 countries.

163 features and shorts from 64 countries are screened at this year’s festival. 60 students from Iran and abroad also attend this year’s workshops called Talent Campus.

Presided over by award-winning writer and director Seyyed Reza Mirkarimi, the 37th Fajr International Film Festival runs until April 26.

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