Iranian film community under government scrutiny

14th annual festival at Iran's House of Cinema

Mehr news agency reports that Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini directed severe criticisms toward the 14th annual festival of Iran Cinema Celebration at the House of Cinema and especially directed his attacks toward, Asghar Farhadi, prominent Iranian director who won the best director award this year for his film, About Elly.

He blasted the participants for wearing or carrying green symbols saying such supports for what he referred to as "a dead movement" is not acceptable.

The post-election protests to the alleged vote fraud that brought Mahmoud Amahdienjad back to the presidency has come to be identified as the Green Movement and protesters would carry green symbols in street demonstrations to identify themselves from pro-government crowds.

In the September 12 festival at the House of Cinema, Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, a veteran of Iran's filmmaking scene, and her daughter, actress, Baran Kosari, attended the ceremony with green headscarves and bracelets.

In addition, Asghar Farhadi, upon receiving the award for best director expressed his wishes that the political situation would develop in a manner that all prominent members of the Iranian film community outside Iran could return and resume their artistic activities in Iran along with those who have are currently in Iran but restricted from making films.

These expressions of support for the opposition have drawn fire from the establishment who claim that cultural activities are being manipulated for subversive political ends.