Veteran Iranian director Shahrokh Bahrololoumi is making a documentary about Cuba’s recent history starting from 1959.

Fifty-One Years of Independence covers the Latin American country’s music, as well as Cuban interest in Iranian music and traditions such as the Persian New Year (Nowruz) celebrations.

“Cuba is a byword for its dance and architecture; every corner is like a tableau,” Tehran Times quoted Bahrololumi as saying.

“All of these as well as the people’s joie de vivre will be shown in the documentary.”

The idea of making such a film developed when I visited Cuba as an assistant director to acclaimed filmmaker Masoud Kimiai ten years ago, Bahrololomi told ISNA.

He also said that they had found a rare film archive in the country, which some of its films were to be used in the documentary.

The shooting of the 90-minute Fifty-One Years of Independence is scheduled to be finished by the Persian New Year on March 21 and Bahrololumi plans to dedicate it to Kimiai.

“Cuba achieved independence 51 years ago, after which the United States has imposed sanctions against the country,” Bahrololomi said.

“The sanctions have had a negative impact on the culture and daily life of Cubans, but what encourages them to continue with life is their special spirit of struggle.”

Iran’s 4th Fajr International Poetry Festival has kicked off in the city of Bushehr, hosting poets from Persian-speaking countries.

Participating in the event are some 678 poets, who will compete in the categories of blank verse, classic poetry and children’s poetry.

“Some 12,090 entries have been submitted to the festival, which will be judged by two jury members,” executive secretary of the festival, Mostafa Omidi told IRNA.

Omidi added that the selected works will be published by Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

28th Fajr International Film Festival (FIFF) was inaugurated on Saturday evening at the gathering hall of Milad tower in Tehran, IRI capital, with 27 films competing for Crystal Phoenix award.

There were some tributes for several artists in the opening ceremony and some others will be honored in the course of the festival.

Ali Kasmaee, one of the oldest dubbing directors in Iranian cinema was among those honored in the opening ceremony.

Secretary of the event Mehdi Massoudshahi told IRIB that 27 Iranian films out of more than 80 submitted will compete for Crystal Phoenix award in the Iranian Cinema section of the 28th International Fajr Film Festival.

He also noted that 19 short films, 37 documentaries and 22 films in the video section have also been selected for screening in the festival.

More than 100 directors and producers from other countries have taken part in the international Festival.

To respect the Arbaeen mourning ceremonies in commemoration of the 40th day after the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (A.S.), this year’s inauguration and closing ceremonies are held sooner than past, he said.

28th Fajr International Film Festival will be on stage until February 4, 2010.

The festival is held annually in commemoration of the landmark 1979 Islamic Revolution. Fajr (opening), the title of the Festival, connotes the triumph of the revolution and is derived from a Koranic sura, the same title.

The revolutionary developments run more speedily following the arrival of Imam Khomeini from exile in February 1, 1979 so that ten days later, the revolution got triumph. Iranians annually mark the ten days, called in the revolutionary calendar as Ten Days of Fajr.

The list of films competing for Crystal Phoenix is as follows, according to the official website of the 28th festival.

1. “Aal” directed by Bahram Bahramian
2. “Anahita” directed by Azizollah Hamidnejad
3. “Be Range Arghavan” (In Purple Color) directed by Ebrahim Hatamikia
4. “Bidari Ro’yaha” (Wakefulness of Dreams) directed by Mohamadali Bashe Ahangar
5. “Parseh Dar Meh” (Wandering in the Mist) directed by Bahram Tavakoli
6. “Parvaze Morghabiha” (Ducks’ Flight) directed by Ali Shah-Hatami
7. “Pesare Adam, Dokhtare Havva” (Adam’s Son, Eve’s Daughter) directed by Rambode Javan
8. “Taraneye Koochake Man” (My Little Taraneh) directed by Mas’ud Keramati
9. “Tasvieh Hesab” (Settling Accounts) directed by Tahmineh Milani
10. “40 Salegi” (40 Years Old) directed by Alireza Raeesian
11. “Khabhaye Donbaleh-dar” directed by Pooran Derakhshandeh
12. “Sange Aval” (The First Stone) directed by Ebrahim Foroozesh
13. “Shabe Vaghe’e” (directed by Shahram Asadi
14. “Shekarchie Shanbeh” (Saturday’s Hunter) directed by Parviz Sheikh-Tadi
15. “Shokolate Dagh” (Hot Chocolate) directed by Hamed Kolahdari
16. “Sobhe Rooze Haftom” (7th Day Morning) directed by Mas’ud Atyabi
17. “Tabagheye Sevom” (The Third Floor) directed by Bijan Mirbagheri
18. “Tala va Mes” (Gold and Copper) directed by Homayun As’adian
19. “Tehran Tehran” directed by Daryoosh Mehrjuee and Mehdi Karampoor
20. “Asre Rooze Dahom” (10th Day Noon) directed by Mojtaba Ra’ee
21. “Keifar” (Punishment) directed by Hasan Fathi
22. “Kimia va Khak” directed by Abbas Rafe’ee
23. “Molke Soleiman” (Solomon’s Kingdom) directed by Shahriar Bahrani
24. “Nofoozi” (The Insider) directed by Ahmad Kaveri and Mehdi Foyoozi
25. “Haft Daghighe ta Paeez” (Seven Minutes to Autumn) directed by Alireza Amini
26. “Yek Gozareshe Vaghe’ee” (A True Report) directed by Daryoosh Farhang

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Hamedan Friday morning to attend the International Festival on Avicenna Theosophia being held in this western province.

He is scheduled to attend a special ceremony of the festival envisaged to honor the great Iranian scientist and philosopher, including a ceremony to unveil a special stamp designed for the occasion.

President Ahmadinejad will also award the best works and articles on the philosophy and medical achievements of Avicenna known as Ibn Sina in Iran.

The three-day event is organized in two sections — international awards and scientific panels — to explore topics on theology, philosophy and traditional medicine.

A total of 116 articles were received by the festival’s secretariat, 48 of which were presented to the five panels.

Some 400 outstanding philosophers from Iran and other countries, 37 philosophers from the Islamic world as well as 150 scientists are present at the event.

The International Festival on Avicenna Theosophia which kicked off in Hamedan Wednesday evening will end its work on Friday.

The Avicenna Foundation was founded in 2006 with the objective of offering international awards for outstanding works on the philosophy and thoughts of Avicenna.

The foundation will also award the best works in medical sciences, philosophy as well as works which strive to introduce the achievements of contemporary scholars on Iranian and Islamic culture and civilization.

Avicenna lived in 10th century AD and mastered many scientific and scholarly fields of Arabic, Quranic studies, Fiqh (jurisprudence), philosophy, logic, algebra, medicine, astrology and theology.

An advisor of Iranian president on Friday highlighted the country’s scientific achievements after the victory of the Islamic revolution, saying that Tehran is ready to present them to other countries.

In a meeting with Zimbabwean Interior Minister Jesus Matsewei Koolh in Harare on Friday, President’s Advisor for Cultural Affairs and Head of National Library Ali Akbar Ashari extended Iran’s preparedness to transfer its scientific achievements to Zimbabwe.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed issues of mutual interest.

Ashari reminded the long-standing cultural relations between Iran and Africa and the remarkable developments and progresses in Iran after the victory of the Islamic revolution in 1979 and underlined that Iran is now in a stage where it is ready to transfer its experiences to other countries, including Zimbabwe.

He further highlighted Iran’s great progresses in the field of new technologies, especially in Nano technology, in the past years, adding that Iran’s scientific and cultural centers, focusing on three dimensions of education, research and dissemination of information, have been able to make great advances possible for the country.

During the meeting, the Zimbabwean minister felicitated Ahmadinejad’s reelection in June 12 presidential election and expressed satisfaction over the present level of political and economic relations.

It is time for the two countries to work to enhance their cultural ties, Koolh added.

He then said his country was well prepared to move towards development despite many sanctions imposed on it and asked for Iran’s help to achieve such goals.

He also expressed happiness that the first Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be signed by Iran’s National Library with a foreign country will be with Zimbabwean National Library in near future.

The final round of the Quran competition designated for Iran’s armed forces will take place November 17.

Lieutenant Mahdi Meidani, who is in charge of the Quran Center of Iran’s army told IQNA that the personnel of all military forces including air, grand and naval, who managed to make it to the final round of the contest, will take part in the competition which is scheduled for November 17-19 at the Air Force Headquarters.

“The competition has been planned in 12 categories of Tahqiq and Tartil recitation, translation of the Quranic verses, memorization of one, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 parts of the Holy Quran, memorization of the entire Quran, Adhan (call to prayer) and Hadith,” he added.

The Quran competition is held annually by the Army as part of efforts to promote the culture of the Quran among the armed forces.

Veteran Iranian muezzin Hossein Sobhdel died of lung disease at his home in Tehran on Wednesday morning.

He was also famous for his composition “Khomeini, O Imam”, a famous song praising the late Imam Khomeini that was performed during the early days of Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Sobhdel was well acquainted with Iranian traditional music, which helped him in reciting his popular azan.

Sobhdel’s azan is compared with Rahim Moazzenzadeh Ardebili’s azan, which is considered Iran’s most popular.

Iranian photographer Ali Samei won the PSA Gold Medal at the North Jersey International PJ Exhibition.

The award is presented by the Photographic Society of America which is the world’s largest patron of international photographic exhibition.

His photo “Mourning” won the golden medal and an Honorable Mention Ribbon of the festival went to his another photo “School Children”.

Iranian photographer Seyyed Ali Hosseinifar also awarded with the Honorable Mention Ribbons of the showcase for his photographs “Tears” and “Tomorrow”.

The works are currently on display at the Belskie Museum Art Wall in Closter Public Library during a showcase which will run until November 8.

The 18th Nationwide Conference on Prayers was inaugurated by reciting the Leader of Islamic Republic of Iran’s message to the conference which is named “Prayer, Mosque, and the Youth.”

In his message, Imam Ali Khamenei appreciated efforts to hold the conference especially naming it after the youth. Imam Khamenei referred to familiarizing the youth with prayers as a great service to them.

Imam Khamenei recommended those in charge to create a lively atmosphere in all mosques. He also asked God’s blessing on those involved in organizing the conference.

The two day conference consists of lectures by religious figures, selected articles as well as forums on prayers.

The Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA) will be playing host to the 7th International Academic and Applied Book Fair from November 15 to 19.

Some 49,000 books from different academic disciplines, including humanities, medical sciences, engineering and the arts, will be available during the fair.

The books are released by several Asian and European publishers in different languages including English, German, French and Arabic.

The complete list of the book is available at anjomannasheran website.

“38 philosophers from 17 countries have been invited to take part at Sinavi (Avicenna) Wisdom Festival, which is to be held in Hamedan,” said secretariat of Information Committee of the festival.

According to public relations office of Bu Ali Sina Scientific and Cultural Foundation, Tavakkol Darayi said that the festival is to investigate the works by Iranian philosopher Abu Ali Sina (Avicenna).

“Eminent scholars from Britain, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Turkey, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Hungary, Lebanon, Nigeria, Japan, the U.S., South Africa, India and Germany will take presence at the event,” he added.

“Over 60 Iranian scholars will also present their works on “Islamic wisdom” and “Avicenna studies” during the festival, which is to be attended by hundreds of students interested in philosophy.”

The secretariat concluded by saying that, “the festival is to be held from November 11 to 13 and the world prize of the foundation will be awarded to five figures selected in the five fields.”

“The media must be religious centered and pivot on the holy Quran,” said Ali-Asqar Qolamreza’e, head of the Education and Research Department of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).

Addressing an international conference on religion and media in Tehran, which seeks to explore and present the most recently conducted studies in the field of religion and media at the international level, Qolamreza’e stressed that the Prophet Mohammad’s (PBUH) propagation of Islam was based upon the Quran. “Thus our media must put the Quran as their main focus in order to promulgate Islamic beliefs.”

“It is incumbent on the media to preach the message of Islam as the Prophet (PBUH) did and in doing so we should utilize the innovations of the Quran,” he added, emphasizing that Islamic teachings should be introduced indirectly.

Iran launched Imam Reza (AS) online TV channel in a ceremony held Tuesday at the IRIB Organization.

Participating in the ceremony, IRIB deputy director Ali Darabi expressed hope that the organization would develop its activities to promote Islamic culture and civilization.

“There is extensive competition in the world of media today and I hope we will be able to transfer our culture and civilization to future generations with the assistance of clerics, experts and university scholars,” he remarked.

Darabi regarded the Imam Reza (AS) online channel as the best means to introduce the Islamic Revolution and Imam Khomeini’s thoughts to the world. The channel is available at www.imamrezatv.ir

Friday, October 30 marks the birthday anniversary of the eighth Imam of the Muslims, Imam Reza (AS).

He then gave a report on the activities of IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) following the Islamic Revolution and said, “There were only two channels before the revolution while today over 110 channels in 32 different languages are active.

“The participation of over 1,000 clerics in the programs broadcasted during the month of Ramadan also demonstrated the special attention that national TV channels pay to religious issues.”

He also mentioned that mosques act as the center of change in the world of Islam and are considered as one aspect of the major media.

The ceremony ended with a poetry recitation by Hamid Sabzevari.

Visiting head of Iran’s Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO) here on Wednesday called for expansion of ties with Azerbaijan.

Referring to the two sides’ cultural, historical and religious commonalities, Mehdi Mostafavi stressed that the ground should be prepared for further expansion of cultural cooperation with Azerbaijan.

Mostafavi, heading a delegation, arrived in Baku on October 26.

According to the Islamic republic news agency, he will inaugurate Iran’s cultural week in Baku and meet some top Azeri officials during his four-day visit.

The ICRO head is going to inaugurate The Imam Reza /AS/ (the eighth imam of Prophet Muhammad’s /pbuh/ Infallible Household) Cultural Festival, Imam Reza /AS/ Photo Exhibition, Iran’s short film festival and unveil the Imam Reza /AS/ book in the Azeri language during his stay in Azerbaijan.

The 26th International Short Film Festival will be held in Tehran in mid November.

So far, over 4,000 short films from home and abroad have been submitted to the secretariat of the festival.

The festival will be inaugurated in Tehran on November 11 and will continue for six days.

Third International Farabi Award will open on Saturday in Tehran, IRI capital with an aim to identify the best talents in the field of humanities and social sciences, secretary of the event, Ali Akbar Alikhani told IRIB.

The event will also introduce best theories and works in the field and promote researchers in line with development and domestication of human sciences in Iran and Islamic world.

The event moreover aims to encourage researchers to review Iran’s scientific and cultural texts, Alikhani said, adding that the main objective of the festival is to honor top translators, researchers and theoreticians in the fields of humanities and Iranian and Islamic studies.

The festival will be sponsored by over 20 Iranian research centers, Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

42 Iranian and foreign researchers who are active in the field of Islamic human sciences will be honored in the festival.

Meanwhile, Dr. Resid Hafizovic, professor of the Sarajevo University has been selected as best researcher in Islamic human sciences and will be awarded this year’s Farabi best award for his book “Human face in the mirror of mystic litrature”.

The award has been named after the acclaimed Iranian scholar Abu Nasr Mohammad Farabi who was a Khorasani polymath and one of the greatest scientists and philosophers in Iran and the Islamic world in his time. He was also a cosmologist, logician, musician, psychologist and sociologist.

He was born to a noble family in the small village of Wasij, in the province of Farab (present day Kazakhstan), in 872 AD (259 AH).

His works included several rich commentaries on Aristotles physics, meteorology, and logic, in addition to a large number of books on several other subjects embodying his original contributions. As a result, he was called the ‘Second Teacher’, with Aristotle known as the ‘First’.

Farabi had a great desire for understanding the universe and human kind, and to understand the latters place within the former, so as to ascertain a comprehensive and intellectual picture of the world and of society as a whole.

Although many of his books have been lost, we still know about 117 of them, which include 43 on logics, 11 on metaphysics, seven on ethics, seven about political science, 17 are on music, medicine and sociology, and 11 of which are commentaries.

IRI Government approved on Sunday to designate January 19 as ‘day of Gaza’.

According to Qods News Agency, the bill to approve the day was forwarded in a formal session of the cabinet, Sunday evening.

January 19 is the day when the 22-day Israeli war on Gaza ended, leaving more than 1400 Palestinian people killed, mostly civilians.

On the occasion of the auspicious birth anniversary of Hazrat-e Ma’soume, thousands of women scholars, involved in Koranic studies, met the Leader of Islamic Revolution, Imam Ali Khamenei.

Imam Khamenei in the a speech referred to women’s active participation in all scientific fields as a point of honor and said Koranic studies should be manifested in all aspects of social life.

The Leader of Islamic Revolution criticized the Western view of women and said Islam greatly respected women and paved the way for their capabilities to flourish.

Imam Khamenei said the remarkable number of woman scholars in the field of Koranic studies in Iran is unprecedented, adding that under the rule of the deposed Shah, a huge gap between people and the Koran was formed and because of it we must put all efforts to bridge the gap.

Imam Khamenei said the only way to have a society inspired by the Koran is to align its governing rules with Koran.

“It is a clear cut fact that the establishment of an Islamic republic in Iran was the major result of exact following of Koranic principles,” the Leader of Islamic Revolution said.

The IR Leader underlined that the formation of the Islamic system has paved the way for Koranic training on which the Iranians should form their behavior in family, management politics, and international scene.

Ayatollah Khamenei urged familiarity with Koranic teachings and said Koranic researches should be done in a way to materialize the teachings in society and life.

Imam Khamenei said if heart is not clean, Koran may be misused for attacking Islam, the Islamic Republic and virtues which the Islamic system brought to society.

The IR Leader termed familiarity with Arabic language and principles of jurisprudence as prerequisites for Koranic researches, adding that a scientific method for Koranic studies is very important and the way of Ulema and jurists in using verses and traditions is completely tested.

Pointing to the issue of westernized human sciences in universities and expressing his criticism in this regard, Imam Khamenei said that the base of the western human sciences is material ideology which is contrary to religious and Koranic teachings while we should seek essence of human sciences in The Koran.

The Islamic Revolution Leader urged taking principles of human sciences from Koran and said “if we do so, the Koranic researchers could establish a firm base for human sciences.”

Talking with Harmony TV, Sudanese National Television channel, Iranian Quranic delegation stressed the necessity of setting up a TV channel dedicated to children broadcasting Islamic and religious programs throughout Africa.

The Iranian delegation attended two meetings held on October 14 at the center of the TV channel and Iran Cultural Center in Sudan.

During the first session, expansion of media cooperation between the two countries and operation of a Islamic TV channel for children by Iran and Sudan to broadcast Islamic and religious programs all over Africa were discussed.

Taking presence at the second meeting, Malakuti Tabar, Deputy of Faculty of Hadith in Shahr-e Rey, Khakrand, in charge of Quranic sciences and Mir Salari, representative of Noor Computer Research Center of Islamic Sciences provided an introduction of various Quranic activities carried out in Iran and explained objectives of the Quranic delegation.

Several Muslim intellectuals from different countries are coming to Iran to participate in Iran’s programs for World Philosophy Day.

Scholars from several countries including U.S., Britain, India, Turkey and Japan will be attending the program, which will be held from November 10 to 14 in Tehran and Hamedan concurrently.

The event is being held by the Institute of Wisdom and Philosophy of Iran and Hamedan’s Avicenna Foundation. The main theme of the event will be “Islamic Philosophy and Contemporary World Challenges”.

Collection on Iranian luminaries available at Frankfurt book fair

TEHRAN — A trilingual collection on Iranian luminaries is now available at Iran’s stand at the Frankfurt International Book Fair.

The book, which contains information in English, German and Persian on numerous luminaries, including Khayyam, Avicenna, Sohrevardi, Hafez, Ghazali, Sadi and Razi, will be available during the event.

The book fair is opening on October 14 and will run until October 18.