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Iran to reopen cinemas in calmer cities, eases screening limits
Iran’s national cinema body will allow movie theaters to reopen in calmer cities from Friday, March 13, while lifting key screening restrictions for films seeking release, the head of film distribution at the Cinema Organization said Wednesday.
Mojtaba Behzadian, director general of the Office for Film Distribution and Exhibition, told IRNA that cinemas outside Tehran, Tabriz and Isfahan may resume operations in coordination with the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
Comedy films remain barred from screening for now, while other genres are cleared to return to theaters.
The move aims to revive a film market disrupted by recent closures while giving producers greater flexibility to roll out new titles. Authorities have approved incentive packages for films entering the screening cycle, including longer theatrical runs and the removal of limits on daily show times and screening days.
Officials expect one or two new films to join the lineup within the next few days, though Behzadian said current conditions do not yet allow a broader slate of releases.
Films that had already premiered before the shutdown will remain in theaters. Titles such as ‘Ahmad,’ ‘Yooz,’ the animated feature ‘The Legend of Sepehr,’ ‘Nilo’s Visage,’ and ‘Juliet and the King’ will continue their runs, with the closure period excluded from their official screening weeks.