The message of Majid Zeinalabedin, the Director of the 36th International Film Festival for Children and Youth
According to the information and communication affairs of the 36th International Film Festival for Children and Youth, the text of this message is as follows:
Children`s and Youth cinema is a manifestation of the brilliance of the ideas of several generations of stars of culture and art in the sphere of Iranian cinema. Famous names that either started with children’s and youth cinema, or were somehow connected to it. Cinema for children and Youth is the cinema of love, education and training. Where the magic curtain of the cinema leads the children of this land to the heights of progress and success and makes their dreams fly with their idealism.
The international film festival for children and youth is the bridge connecting the child inside adult-filmmakers with the utopia of children’s dreams; A place that connects two different worlds in the city of stories. The imaginary story of all the children and teenagers of the world is full of colors in this cinema, but the story of the children of Gaza and Lebanon in this cinema is a red and tragic. Between the two festivals of last year and this year, children all over the world are relaxing in the land of their dreams with the sound of their mother’s lullaby, but the children of Gaza fly to the sky through the ruins of their motherland with the terrible roar of bombs, instead of flying in the land of dreams. The children of Palestine and Lebanon, instead of watching movies and enjoying the cinema, the close-up image of their sorrows is the frame of the world’s news cameras. This year’s international film festival for children and youth remembers them with a special section for Children of Gaza. I hope that soon there will be no trace of horror and pain of crime on the shoulders of these innocent children and the world will be full of beauty for them. The children of Gaza hope for a peaceful and beautiful tomorrow.
In the past year, children’s cinema has seen a growing trend in production and screening, and the presence of several million families and audiences to see children’s and youth’s movies released in the cinemas of the country, promises the dynamism of this cinema under the condition of high-quality productions. The 36th festival is a new opportunity to show creativity and show a new look at this cinema. A festival the purpose of which is not based on pure competition, but based on excellence and support of children’s and youth cinema.
I sincerely appreciate and thank the members of the festival staff in Tehran and Isfahan, honorable artists and cinematographers, the respected panels of judges and all the dear ones whose efforts made the festival’s butterflies fly in the city of life.
Majid Zeinalabedin
Director of the 36th International Film Festival for Children and Youth