Online format of “Cinema Verite”, cultural necessity at current situation

Tehran, Nov 28, IRNA - The 14th edition of The Annual Iran International Documentary Film Festival known as “Cinema Verite” directed by Mohammad Hamidi-Moqadam is scheduled to be held in Tehran on Dec 8-14, 2020 in an online format via utilizing the national platform in the country due to the coronavirus outbreak. This international prestigious cinematic event which showcases the very best of the world documentary is trying to bridge the gap between reality and truth. From this point of view, it is not easy to talk about the closure of this festival. Although the spread of the coronavirus is a serious issue for the country, via holding the online method, the Cinema Verite enters new frontiers without losing its advantages. For sure holding, this cinematic event in the current situation seemed to be a challenging decision. Not only Iran, but other film festivals in the world are holding their festivals in the online format like New Zealand, Busan, Madrid, Belfast, Melbourne, Tokyo, Poland, Stockholm, etc. Holding “Cinema Verite” in online format can bring documentary cinema and the country's cultural, artistic issues and priorities to homes, interact with people and audiences, and help increase social capital. The Cinema Verite is a good platform for the productivity of the human capital of documentary cinema (artists and audiences of this cinema) and a way to achieve excellence and success. At a time when the world is suffering from coronavirus and many events have gone viral to survive, it would increase the motivation of cultural activists. Holding an online festival will pave the way for the success of this cinema. According to the director of the festival, Mohammad Hamidi-Moqaddam, the main concern regarding the event was the future of documentaries since the time of screening is important. Hamidi-Moqaddam believes that this festival is an opportunity for creating happiness in society, adding that the TV programs are trying to remove disappointment from society not only in Iran but all around the world. This festival has always been the voice of all documentary artists and the manifestation of effort and art in documentary cinema. Each year, this festival tries to create a venue for fostering interaction among environmental documentary filmmakers, crisis documentarians, filmmakers, and producers who focus on social issues, also young and experienced documentarians. Cinema Verite is also a serious and influential festival which plays a pivotal role in training the youth generation who are seeking to enter into documentary cinema. In this format of the festival, only the face to face meeting will be omitted and it would be replaced by communication in social spaces. The world has been involved in combating Coronavirus for months, and documentarians are working to produce visual content. The festival has several sections, including the National, International, and Martyr Avini Prize, Entrepreneurship Documentary Competition, Coronavirus Special Section, Side Sections, and commemorations. Meantime, several expert workshops, master talks as well as masterclasses will be held in this international cinematic event. The national competition section comprises the short, mid-length, and feature-length documentaries and the international section of this edition will be held in non-competition format due to the spread of coronavirus. The international section of the festival also enjoys numerous non-competition sections such Special Displays, Mirror of a Festival, Portrait, Perspective of One Country Documentary Cinema, Chile Documentary Cinema, Masters of 2020 as well as 13 Editions & 13 Films