Named after the famous Silk Road - the ancient trade route stretching across Asia, Africa and the Middle East to Europe - a new celebration of Iranian cinema arrives in Dublin this March 19th to 21st.
‘The Secret of Permanency’, the first Irish-Iranian co-production, will be honoured with a special screening at the Light House cinema on 19th March, followed by a talk with director Khashayar Mahmoodabadi and Mr Seyed Mehdi Seyedainnia, Head of Arts & Cultural Centre, Esfahan, Iran.
A documentary feature, it follows the spiritual journey of a young girl who discovers the echoes of ancient Persia through a visit to the surviving historical monuments in Esfahan, Iran.
Festival director Carla Mooney told IFTN that this year’s festival is a showcase of Iranian film to coincide with Nowruz - the Persian New Year - celebrations, with an expanded festival to be rolled out next year which will be open to submissions from Silk Road countries.
Along with film premieres and screenings, the 2014 festival will add exhibitions, panels, interviews with industry guests, free courses and workshops to the festival line-up.
Submissions for next year will be accepted from October 2013, with the primary focus being on films from the Mediterranean, Somalia, Turkey, China, India, Iran, Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and the Caucasus region.
A special 'Off-Road' category will be open to films from countries not along the route of the Silk Road.
Other films to screen at the festival are: 'Haghighi', a documentary on the renowned carpets of Persia; 'Taste of Cherry', co-winner of the Palme d'Or at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, about an Iranian man who searches for someone who will quietly bury him under a cherry tree after he dies; and 'Here Without Me', about a family’s dreams and the problems they encounter.
The Silk Road Film Festival was created by Irish creative producers Delwyn Mooney, Carla Mooney and Icelandic creative producer Steinar Oli Jonsson.
Further details are available online at silkroadfilmfestival.com
