Hatami’s Grandchildren Unveil Poster of 35th FFF

The official poster of the 35th Fajr Film Festival (FFF) and the DVD package of the best films by viewers’ choice in the past 19 editions of (FFF) were unveiled at a ceremony at the Cinematograph Auditorium of Cinema Museum in Tehran on Sunday.

The poster of this year’s festival, depicting the celebrated Iranian filmmaker Ali Hatami (1944-1996), was unveiled by his grandchildren in the presence of cineastes and media.

“Hatami tried to localize his films. The new generation of filmmakers in Iran has followed his path and their movies have found an Iranian manifestation. Just like many Persian classical poets such as Ferdowsi and Mawlana who are our pride, we are also proud of Hatami,” said film critic Omid Rouhani who hosted the event, Honaronline reported.

A number of veteran actors who had played in his movies were invited to the event. However, except for Mohammad Ali Keshavarz, 86, the others including Ali Nassirian, 81, Jamshid Mashayekhi, 82, and Ezatollah Entezami, 92, could not make it due to illness.

To unveil the poster, Hatami’s wife, Zahra Khoshkam, his only daughter, Leila, his grandchildren Asal and Mani Mosaffa, together with Ehteram Boroumand, wife of the late actor Davoud Rashidi (1933-2016) and Keshavarz took the stage.

  Master of Cinema

“I am indebted to Hatami who started his career from theater, not cinema. I acted in the first plays for which he wrote the script. Later he joined Iran cinema and became its master,” Keshavarz said.

Hatami’s grandchildren and festival secretary Mohammad Heidari unveiled the poster for which his picture painted by Ali Beigiparast was taken from a photo by Aziz Sa’ati. The poster is designed by Hossein Zarei.

A film director, screenwriter, art director and costume designer, Hatami’s debut film was ‘Hasan Kachal’ (Hasan the Bald) in 1970, the first Iranian musical film.

Since then, he paid attention to rhythmic dialogues and also the use of traditional settings and architecture in his films that became the characteristics of his works.

Hatami was interested in making films and serials on historical and folkloric figures. His notable works include movies ‘Sattar Khan’ (1972), ‘Hajji Washington’ (1982), and ‘Kamalolmolk’ (1984), as well as the TV serial ‘Hezar Dastan’ (1978-1987), 

He wrote and directed 15 films and 4 serials during his 30 years of contribution to Iran cinema and TV. He died of cancer in 1996 in Tehran.

The official poster of last year’s festival showed the late actor Khosrow Shakibai (1944-2008). The change in the design is to honor local cineastes who have helped develop the film industry.

Later in the event, the DVD package of the films which received audience choice awards in the last 19 editions of the festival, starting from the 16th edition and ending with the previous 34th edition, was unveiled.

The 35th edition of FFF is slated for January 29-February 9 in Tehran and 30 other provinces.

From early January till mid February, several art festivals are held under the banner of ‘Fajr’ to mark the 10-Day Dawn (Fajr) Festivities which celebrate the anniversary of the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.