Source: Mehr News Agency, Tehran

The Azadi Cinema Complex is screening the remaining World Cup games live for football fans. The complex screened Germany vs. England and Mexico vs. Argentina on Sunday which was warmly welcomed by fans, Azadi Cinema Complex director Reza Saeidipur told the Persian service of FNA.

Although many people were not informed about the screening of the games, the theater was studded with fans holding German flags in their hands, he added.

The tickets are about 4 dollars (40,000 Rials) for each football match and the coffee shop is free for all attendees, he mentioned.

"We hope that this event would be a beginning for further screening of football matches at Iranian movie theaters including the AFC Asian Cup and the Iran national football team games," he said.

Saeidipur previously proposed live screening of the World Cup games at Iranian movie theaters to prevent a drop in box office receipts during this popular event.

He believed that in this way, all family members would be drawn to movie theaters and each one could choose to watch either a film or a football match.

Based on an unofficial estimate, Iran has 50 million football fans.

... Payvand News - 06/29/10 ... --