The opening ceremony of 37th ten-day festival was held in the Pardis Theater complex of Tehran, with Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Seyyed Abbas Salehi, in attendance.

Iran Press/Iran news: According to Ebrahim Daroughezadeh, the director of this edition of the Fajr Film Festival, 22 Iranian films and three domestically-made 3D computer-animated movies will contest to win the Crystal Simorgh (or the Crystal Phoenix) in this competition.

He said that on February 2 there would be a special ceremony with all those who have been awarded with the Crystal Simorgh in the past 37 years, Iran Press reported.

The national section of the event, which brings together motion picture industry professionals from across the country, is held in January and February during the celebrations to mark the anniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution.

In the international section, annually held in February and April, hundreds of filmmakers from around the world apply to take part in the major contest. 101/213