The Third Space of Belonging

Australia home to the inaugural Persian International Film Festival

After a year and half in the making, the first Persian International Film Festival will be coming to Sydney, Australia in early 2012. The festival will feature films of various genre and length from Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, as well as from the respective members of these communities globally.

The Persian International Film Festival aims to encourage cross-cultural dialogue, not only between those of Persian background and others, but also among the diverse people of Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, who share a lot of common cultural traits.

The Persian International Film Festival is a unique cultural initiative in Australia and a great opportunity for filmmakers to screen their films. So, if you are a filmmaker of Iranian, Afghan or Tajik background, we invite you to submit your film to be considered for screening at the Persian International Film Festival 2012.

Festival co-director, Sanaz Fotouhi says, "We want to encourage the free expression of filmmakers who might otherwise not have a chance to screen their films in other festivals in the West or other parts of the world."

To encourage cross-cultural communication, alongside the festival, there will also be a series of talks, forums, and meet the director sessions.

As co-director, Amin Palangi says, "our aim has always been to make a festival that brings together the various Persian communities and their voices and introduces them, their similarities and differences, to non-Persian audiences." This is why leading up to the event the festival website will publish a series of discussions with articles, video clips, scholarly essays and opinion pieces on Persian cinema and culture.

If you want to submit your film or to create discussion, visit the festival website, www.persianfilmfestival.com. You can also find more information on facebook at //www.facebook.com/PersianFilmFestival, and on twitter on PersianFilmFest. For more information about the festival you can also email info@persianfilmfestival.com.