According to the Public Relations and International Affairs of the Kish Free Zone Organization, MohammadAli Haeri Shirazi, at the press conference introducing the 1405 art festivals with focuses on theatre, film, photography and music held in the Khwarazmi Hall of the Kish International Conference Center, referring to the importance of continuity of cultural and artistic activities on the island, said: Holding art festivals, especially after the conditions and events of recent months, can help strengthen vitality and social cheerfulness.
He added: For a tourist-friendly region like Kish, the flourishing of cultural and artistic activities, in addition to strengthening social vitality, helps increase cultural visits, introduce the island’s capacities and create more motivation for travel.
Three festivals on the path to implementation
Haeri Shirazi, referring to the holding of the second Regional Women’s Music Festival of Iran and ritual movements of Iranian ethnicities, said: This festival will be held on 20 Aban, simultaneously with Kish Week, with Hamid Hadi as secretary, and attention to the capacity of female artists and creating social enthusiasm are its main goals.
He added: This event is held within the framework of the country’s cultural laws and regulations, and its previous edition attracted attention in some regional countries and Persian-speaking communities, including Tajikistan and Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.
The artistic director of the Kish Free Zone Organization, about the ritual movements section, said: These rituals have roots in the culture and traditions of Iranian ethnicities and some of them are linked to subjects such as thanksgiving, rainfall, fertility and other local customs. Therefore, the presence of this section can help introduce part of Iran’s cultural diversity and ritual heritage.
Continuing, Haeri Shirazi named the Kish Beach Theatre Festival as the second event under implementation and said: This festival will be held on 20 Azar with Abbas Najari as secretary, and the utilization of the sea and beach capacity is the distinguishing feature of this theatrical event.
He emphasized planning to strengthen the international aspect of the festival and added: In interaction with the ECO (Economic Cooperation Organization) representative office in Iran, the festival call has been sent to the member countries of this organization and efforts are being made to increase the presence of ECO member countries compared to the previous edition.
Haeri Shirazi continued: Efforts are also being made to use international jurors in this edition so that cultural exchange between Iran and regional countries and greater introduction of Kish’s artistic and tourism capacities outside the country’s borders can be facilitated.
The artistic director of the Kish Free Zone Organization referred to the first Qais Photo and Image Festival as the third event that has entered the implementation phase and said: This festival will be held on 20 Esfand with Seyed Hossein Tahouri as secretary, and its goal is to increase the island’s pictorial richness and record fresh perspectives on Kish’s capacities.
He added: Kish, as a tourist destination, has a direct link with photography and imagery, and capacities such as the sea, beach, underwater space, wildlife, modern architecture and urban planning can provide material for producing professional works to introduce the island at the national and international levels.
Haeri Shirazi emphasized: The presence of prominent photographers and artists can help produce a diverse collection of images of Kish with fresh perspectives and provide an appropriate pictorial archive for introducing the island’s capacities.
Moj Short Film Festival in final stages
The artistic director of the Kish Free Zone Organization, in another part of his remarks about cinema programs, said: The call for the Moj Short Film Festival was published last year, but due to the events that occurred, its holding process did not reach the closing stage.
He added: The process of reviewing works and judging is in its final stages and efforts are being made to hold the closing ceremony and awarding of prizes for this festival this year.
Haeri Shirazi also announced the review of new ideas in the field of cinema and said: Holding a vertical film festival and other formats that can be executed on the island are under review and programs related to the Fajr Film Festival will also be pursued in Bahman.
Referring to the activities of the island’s theatrical groups, he said: One of Kish theatre artists’ works, with a group of about 20 people, has advanced to a reputable theatre festival in Tehran and such presences can help enhance the professional experience of the island’s artists.
The artistic director of the Kish Free Zone Organization also announced the performance of a theatrical work by Hormozgan artists on the 13th, 14th and 15th of Mehr at the Master Nasirian Theatre of Saadi Cultural Center of Kish and emphasized the continuation of artistic interaction and exchange between the island’s artists and other parts of the country.
At the end of this meeting, the decrees of the artistic festival secretaries were awarded to Hamid Hadi as secretary of the second Regional Women’s Music Festival of Iran and ritual movements of Iranian ethnicities; Abbas Najari as secretary of the Kish Beach Theatre Festival; and Seyed Hossein Tahouri as secretary of the first Qais Photo and Image Festival, and the posters of these three festivals were unveiled.