This timeline is about the history of Iranian cinema, Iranian directors and their awards. ;xNLx;;xNLx;It shows the increasing global success of Iranian cinema and how authorities have increasing power over artists and directors, people who are often seen as threats to the regime. ;xNLx;;xNLx;This suppression caused some filmmakers to flee the country. Others who remained in Iran were imprisoned.;xNLx;;xNLx;The background image is the ceiling of the Film Museum of Tehran.;xNLx;;xNLx;Photo Credit: Mahsa Saffaripour
Muzaffar al-Din Shah, the Shah of Persia from 1896 to 1907, ordered Akkas Bashi to film his life. Bashi obtained a camera from Paris and filmed the Shah's visit to Europe. No copies have ever been found.
The first Iranian photographer to record images of life on a celluloid was Akkas Bashi in 1900. He accompanied the Shah to Europe and was introduced to a cinematographer in France. The Shah ordered him to purchase the equipment needed for making motion pictures and recording. While they were in Belgium attending the Festival for Flowers, Bashi took his first images. Iranian film was brought to Iran as entertainment for the royal court and monarchy. Later in 1912, movie theaters were more safely established with the help of Ardeshir Khan; before then, most were burned or closed. Pioneers of Iranian Cinema soon followed. Khan-baba Khan Mo'tazedi (who became one of the major cinema owners of the time), Ovanes Ohanian (who began a film school in Tehran), and Ebrahim Moradi (who established his own film studio) were all famous for their passion for film and their contributions to Iranian Cinema in the 1920s. Retrieved from iraniannewwaveat.blogspot.com/
The years between 1937 and 1948 marked an absence in the productivity of Iranian national cinema due to World War II. The 1950s birthed Iranian cinema with the arrival of film enthusiasts such as Esmail Kooshan who established Mitra Films and made new films. During the decade, the Iranian film industry began growing rapidly and more studios were established. What has attracted international audiences to this national cinema is its distinct style, themes, authors, idea of nationhood and manifestation of culture. Retrieved from iraniannewwaveat.blogspot.com/
Iranian New Wave is a movement in Iranian cinema. It started in 1969 after Darius Mehrjui's film, "The Cow." It was followed by Masoud Kimiai's Qeysar and Nasser Taqvai's "Calm in Front of Others." They initiated a trend that was cultural, dynamic and intellectual.
"The Cow" is a 1969 Iranian film directed by Dariush Mehrjui, written by Gholam-Hossein Saedi. It received the Critics' Award in Venice in 1971 and toured world film festivals.
During the Shah's period, cinema endured censorship. The cusp of the Iranian Revolution seemed to somewhat liberate artists; it actually damaged the film industry because cinema was considered a symbol of Western culture and could not mesh with Islamic Laws. The Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini's rebuttal was this: "We are not against cinema; we are against prostitution."
The Ministry of Art announced the closure of all the country’s cinemas in 1980.
The "White Balloon" is a 1995 Iranian film directed by Jafar Panahi, screenplay by Abbas Kiarostami. It was Panahi's feature-film debut as director. The film won the Caméra d'Or (Golden Camera) at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival.
"A Time for Drunken Horses" is a 2000 Kurdish/Iranian film produced in Iran and directed by Bahman Ghobadi. It was a co-winner of the Caméra d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000.
"The Circle" is a 2000 drama film by Iranian independent filmmaker Jafar Panahi.
