Film fans can buy movie tickets for half price for shows from noon until evening and watch films in cinemas till daybreak during the fasting month of Ramadan (started May 17).
Following the trend in recent years of screening films in cinemas during Ramadan, from Iftar (fast-breaking) at sunset till dawn the next day, this year also cinema halls throughout Iran will host filmgoers till morning, Cinetmag.com reported.
The program “From Iftar Till Dawn” organized by the Iran Cinema Organization, Society of Iranian Cinema Halls Owners, and the Guild Council for Public Screenings, was initiated in 2009.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting. People abstain from eating and drinking from dawn to dusk.
According to the spokesman of the Guild Council for Public Screenings, Gholamreza Faraji, in the last session of the council it was decided that the cinemas sell tickets at half-price until Iftar. Tickets for shows after Iftar will be sold at their normal prices which vary from 80,000-150,000 rials ($1.9-$3.5) based on the grades of the cinemas.
The program has helped sales during the fasting month increase substantially. Up until recently Ramadan was considered ‘dead time’ by producers, distributors and cinema owners.
Local cinema had a successful box office with the seven films released for Norouz (Persian New Year started on March 21) which grossed over $13 million.
While films were doing well, seven new films hit the screens two weeks ago. Now there are 14 films on different genres including comedy, drama, thriller and for children that can attract film buffs to the halls and contribute to the cinema industry.
On Eid-al-Fitr (feast marking the end of Ramadan) new movies will be released. This year the end of Ramadan coincides with the beginning of summer holidays for schoolchildren, which is one of the best times for releasing blockbusters.
