The 9th Simorgh International Festival is slated for May 3-10 in Tehran.
Organized by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, it comprises five categories namely theater, film, visual arts, literature and music.
The film category only accepts films created by university students within the theme of ‘Culture of Health’ in two sections: short films and animations.
Over 800 foreign filmmakers have submitted their works, Honaronline reported on its Persian website. As for theatrical, literal and musical submissions, there is no announcement from the festival yet.
The festival brings together students from across continents and provides them the opportunity to share their interests and concerns about health issues.
It is named Simorgh after the legendary bird in Iranian mythology which is the symbol of medicine in Iran. In the ‘Book of Kings,’ a long epic poem by renowned Persian poet Ferdowsi (940-1020), healing capacities have been attributed to the bird.
The festival includes theater and music performances, film screening, meetings of experts and training workshops with the participation of artists, medical specialists and the media. Cultural products relevant to the festival will be presented at an exhibition on the sidelines of the festival.
Like the previous edition of the annual festival, Khavaran Theater Complex, also known as Tehran Theater Campus will host the event. The complex, officially opened last February, is the largest theater complex in the Middle East. It has an area of 210,000 square meters. Among various spaces designed within the complex are a 1,000-seat main hall, four 150-seat halls, a puppetry hall, and an amphitheater. Also, 3500 sq. meters of the building is allocated to traditional and ethnic performances.
The center is equipped with state-of-the art devices including a moving six-meter deep stage, a side-by-side shooting system and professional projectors. It is designed to host workshops, concerts and symphony orchestras.
The complex is located next to Khavaran Cultural Center on Baqaee Street.
