Ammar Popular Festival to screen 300 films, framed as cultural ‘counter-narrative’
Iran's Ammar Popular Film Festival will screen 300 films in competition this year, the festival’s executive secretary, Mohammad Hossein Sabouri said on Sunday, framing the event as a cultural rebuttal to Western criticism.
The event kicks off on January 22 at Tehran’s Bahman Cinema, with daily screenings running until January 29, Defa Press reported.
The secretariat received over 3,040 submissions for its documentary, fiction, and music video categories.
Saeed Khorshidi, head of the festival's policy council, used a press conference to cast the gathering as a display of Iran’s “cultural technology” and soft power.
He positioned it as a direct challenge to narratives of a fatigued Iranian society.
“We invite those who try to portray Iranian society as tired and stagnant to see these works,” Khorshidi stated.
The festival’s thematic focus is firmly rooted in Iran’s revolutionary narrative. Officials said it would "narrate the conquest" of the Iranian people, referencing the date of January 12, which marks the rally condemning the recent foreign-backed riots across the country.
Khorshidi tied the event symbolically to Tehran’s Abuzar Mosque, a site he said recalls the people’s “awakening” against past “seditions” and a recent arson attack by “rioters.”
He also cited the Leader's recent speech, arguing Iran now operates from a "higher level" than mere soft power.
The festival, Khorshidi claimed, provides a “frame” to see the representation of Iran's combined hard and soft power, calling it a “counter-example” that invalidates claims by foreign and domestic enemies.
A special section titled “Iranian Dream” will showcase works by intellectuals, while a segment on the “12-Day War” – a reference to recent border conflicts – prompted such a volume of submissions that organizers considered holding two annual festivals.
The event will also feature two dedicated screenings for deaf audiences.