"Politics separates us and art unites us. The work that Farsi Cinema Center is doing is very important with these initiatives and we need to break borders, break what separates us. We need to create a shared life, society, and culture."

Working with ACTRA Toronto, we hope to redefine the inclusion of Farsi speakers on screen, and open opportunities for Farsi-speaking communities to share their real life experiences with the world. Behind the propagandized stories of war and violence exist stories of love, heartbreak, family struggles, and happiness – stories Farsi directors are unraveling on the big screen one at a time.

Summer has come to its end and some of the biggest feasts of cinema have wrapped up their work for the year. Cannes, Venice, Karlovy Vary, TIFF, Locarno and many other international film festivals have surprised all of us with a long list of great films. FCC takes a brief look at this summer and some of the highlights of the Farsi speaking cinema; films that shined in some of the most prestigious film festivals across the universe.

“I’d really like to co-produce with different countries, and I’m doing my best to make it happen. That’s the main goal I have in mind. I don’t want to stick to the Iranian film industry, I want to work with different cultures, producers, and cast from all over the world. To experience more, to learn more.”

“The fact that there are organizations that exist like yours is already a step in the right direction. Bigger organizations like TIFF need to partner with smaller organizations to help bring filmmakers and new voices into a bigger sphere.”

With less than one week to go until the 44th Toronto International Film Festival, FCC is working around the clock to make the most of the 11-day film festival. This year is more special than ever for us as, for the very first time, FCC will be presenting a handpicked selection of feature film projects to potential producers, festival programmers, distributors, and sales agents during the industry conference.

Despite its struggle with political and cinematic landscapes, Farsi-speaking cinema has thrived over the past few decades, especially at film festivals. The 76th Venice International Film Festival’s lineup, which features two Afghan films, signals an important milestone for Farsi cinema born in the relatively marginalized Afghanistan. FCC examines the history of Farsi cinema at the oldest film festival in the world, with focus on some pivotal turning points and this year’s lineup.

Although TIFF has had an undeniable impact on the cinema of Iran, the newly-released 2019 festival lineup has indicated a new low for the inclusion of Farsi cinema. Serving as a collective voice for all filmmakers of Farsi backgrounds, Farsi Cinema Center hopes to remedy this missed opportunity by collaborating with local film organizations, such as TIFF, to connect them with the most current Farsi film industry developments.

Toronto International Film Festival is the precursor to all things films for the six months that follow. The 11-day festival, launched in 1976, is now one of the most prestigious in the world, catapulting emerging filmmakers into the international scene and setting the tone for the big fall movie season and film festivals to come, including Festival de Cannes. FCC approaches TIFF from multiple points of view in this blog post that discusses lesser-known parts of the festival considered ground zero for many co-productions.