Fadjr theater festival launches ‘My Iran’ patriotic competition with 21 productions
The 44th Fadjr International Theatre Festival will feature a new patriotic competitive section titled "My Iran," focused on themes of sacred defense and resistance, the event's secretary announced on Tuesday.
The section, after securing sponsorship from a cultural foundation, will now feature 21 productions, IRNA reported.
The festival’s restructuring and financial model highlight the increasing role of institutional backers in Iran’s cultural landscape, while organizational challenges and geopolitical tensions continue to impact its international profile. The pivot towards competitive domestic themes and decentralized hosting aligns with the cultural ministry's stated policy directives.
Speaking at a press conference in Tehran’s Theater City Hall, Secretary Vahid Fakhr Mousavi outlined the festival's revised format.
The festival launched in the southeastern city of Kerman on January 17, hosting five sections as part of a cultural decentralization drive championed by Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Abbas Salehi.
The main program runs in Tehran across venues including City Theater, Iranshahr Hall, and Sangelaj Theater.
Fakhr Mousavi disclosed the approved festival budget stands at 280 billion rials (nearly $200,000), a decrease from the previous year.
He acknowledged logistical and publicity hurdles, alongside the non-attendance of invited companies from Italy, Germany, Georgia, Armenia, Iraq, and Russia.
Submissions for the festival’s main stage competition reached 274 works, with 62% originating from Iranian provinces outside Tehran.
A total of 16 works were selected for the final program. In the international section, only seven productions were chosen from 223 submissions, with no foreign groups currently confirmed to perform.
The secretary noted commemorations for four veteran artists are scheduled, while dedicated sections for radio plays, street theatre, and research seminars will proceed.
Executive Secretary Abbas Ghaffari, also present, paid tribute to theatrical figures who died in recent months and emphasized the rigorous selection process across provinces.