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:
I thank God that today, once again, we are witnessing the grand celebration of children and youth film festival. A memorable event that, with all its highs and lows, has always been warm and exciting in the country’s cinema sphere.
There is no doubt that children and youth are the greatest and the brightest wealth of the society and the future of this land is in the hands of this creative and innovative generation – a clean and energetic world in which there are hopeful and inspiring models for Society and future generations are formed – and society always needs their pure childish imaginations to find a new color.
In this regard, the international film festival for children and youth is a logical and meaningful observance of this view. This festival is entering its 36th year, while it has been able to display a set of capacities and goods of children’s cinema over several decades, and we are still far from reaching its ideal point.
In recent years, the cinema organization has paid special attention to films for children and youth, which fortunately, today, we are witnessing the horizon and promising leap of this field in terms of audience growth and its better economy, and this kind of cinema. And also marketing and monetization have appeared more successful. The significant presence of a number of works in this field in the “national and international markets” is a strong reason for this claim, and we consider this achievement to be the result of the effort and synergy of the public and private sectors.
Today’s children’s film festival is a precious opportunity as it hosts a banquet of the flight of childhood dreams and a clean, beautiful and violence-free image of the world of children and youth with the magic of cinema, where the events of the region, in a bitter and sad array, emcounter the face without a mask. It has displayed the savagery, brutality and violence inherent in the Zionist regime in the guise of genocide and the brutal killing of innocent children in Palestine, Gaza and Lebanon.
Undoubtedly, we should not and cannot turn a blind eye to these inhumane scenes and heartbreaking tragedies, because the mission of art and artist is revealed in such situations.
By using the rich Iranian and Islamic culture, literature and civilization, our cinema today can be a platform for the growth and upbringing of knowledgeable, faithful and courageous generations committed to national and human ideals, and this deeply rooted cultural event can also rely on Its long and fruitful background and its social and historical status make this path smoother for filmmakers and artists.
Holding this memorable festival hosted by the city of Isfahan is the result of the collective efforts of different centers, especially “Isfahan Municipality” and “Farabi Cinema Foundation”, and all other supporters, artists and stakeholders, especially the respected mayor of Isfahan and the hardworking director of this festival. Thank you all.
Also, with a sad heart for the martyrdom of the great devotee Seyed Hassan Nasrallah and a group of stars of the resistance front in these days, and also, condolences to the nation of Iran and the honorable people of Isfahan for the martyrdom of Major General Abbas Nilfroshan, in these last days of my service as the head of the cinema organization; I wish increasing success for this important cultural event in the city and land of art and civilization of Isfahan.
Mohhamad Khazaie, Head of the Cinema Organization