Fathollah Amiri, Jury Member of the 18th Cinema Verite Documentary Film Festival

According to Saba News, Fathollah Amiri, a documentary filmmaker and a jury member of the National Section of the 18th Iran International Documentary Film Festival “Cinema Verite,” shared his thoughts with Saba Cinema about this year’s festival. He stated, “Compared to previous editions, there was significant progress in this year’s films. They showed great diversity and improved quality. Additionally, the Documentary, Experimental, and Animation Development Center showcased higher-quality and more numerous works compared to other organizations.”

Explaining the process of evaluating documentaries, Amiri said, “I watched some documentaries alone and others alongside audiences during the festival. I wanted to observe the atmosphere of the screening halls and the audience’s reactions. Many screening halls were packed this year, and in some cases, viewers even sat on the floor to watch.”

The director of In Search of the Persian Leopard remarked, “When the halls are full, it indicates that the festival is alive and moving forward. However, more focus could be given to concurrent events during the festival. For example, alongside screenings and other activities, a film market or booths showcasing the latest documentary filmmaking equipment could be organized.”

Expressing his hopes for the 19th edition of Cinema Verite, Amiri emphasized, “Filmmakers create the movies, but the bold approach taken by this year’s festival to screen certain works that had not been shown in recent years was remarkable. I hope this trend continues in future editions.”

Referring to some films in the competition that leaned towards reconstruction, Amiri noted, “Currently, narrative films are adopting a documentary style, while documentaries are gravitating towards storytelling. As a jury member, we must be cautious not to be misled by this.”

Regarding his favorite films from this year’s festival, the director of Life in the Cold Veins said, “Among the works I watched, I particularly enjoyed several documentaries, including The Blue Suitcase, The Trick, The Nobles, The Cabin, The Face, The Elevator, and some environmental films.”

Commenting on the judging environment, Amiri concluded, “The judging atmosphere was generally positive, with no sign of jury members favoring any particular film. It was a fair and healthy environment. Additionally, Mohammad Hamidi-Moqaddam, the festival’s secretary, refrained from interfering in the jury’s decisions. Even the winner of the secretary’s prize was chosen by the jury and approved by him.”

Source: Saba News Agency