An online meeting of the Committee for the Implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cinematic Cooperation between Iran and Türkiye was held with the participation of Raed Faridzadeh, president of the Iranian Cinema Organization, and Birol Güven, Director General of the Cinema Department at Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
According to the Public Relations Department of the Iranian Cinema Organization, the two sides, emphasizing the cultural commonalities between the two countries and the importance of maintaining continued cinematic engagement, stressed the need to expand joint programs and move toward practical and professional cooperation.
Birol Güven expressed his appreciation for Iran’s hospitality during his recent visit to Shiraz, and voiced hope that the interruption in bilateral cooperation over the past few months would prove temporary and that joint efforts would continue in earnest.
The Deputy Director General of the Cinema Department at Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism also described the past four years as an important and unprecedented period in terms of the scope, continuity and quality of cinematic relations between Iran and Türkiye.
During the meeting, the organization of Iranian and Turkish Film Weeks, as well as cooperation between film festivals, was proposed. The initiatives are intended to provide a platform not only for the screening of films, with the participation of producers, investors and other cinema industry professionals, but also for specialized and professional meetings between private-sector representatives from the two countries, creating opportunities for dialogue, networking and the development of new partnerships among cinema industry professionals.
Ali Asghar Farsi, Cultural Counselor of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Türkiye, also attended the meeting. Referring to an in-person meeting held with the Turkish side the previous week, he welcomed Turkish officials’ familiarity with the capabilities and achievements of Iranian cinema and their interest in expanding bilateral engagement. He also announced the Cultural Counselor’s Office’s readiness to follow up on and facilitate the Cinema Organization of Iran’s programs and initiatives in Türkiye.
Mohammad Tayyeb, Director General of International Cooperation and Film Festivals at the Cinema Organization of Iran, was among the other participants in the meeting.