The 36th International Film Festival for Children and Youth, with all its ups and downs, came to an end on Friday with a closing ceremony. There’s much to discuss about the 36th edition and its events, but let’s leave those conversations for another time. This piece, however, focuses on a different subject.
If we compare the 35th edition of the festival to the 36th solely in terms of the quality of the films, we can confidently acknowledge a significant improvement. The biggest surprise of the festival occurred on its very first day. An unwritten rule of the festival often dictates that the initial screenings are reserved for films with little hope of attracting large audiences. This year, staying true to that tradition, the second screening on the first day was dedicated to the feature film The Brave Mafia by Maryam Modares.
It might sound cliché, but The Brave Mafia was a compact, unpretentious work, free of exaggerated moralizing. With a clever and cohesive narrative, it managed to keep even the most discerning viewers engaged until the very end. Although the film was intended for a specific age group and had moments of suspense that might feel intense for children, it never alienated its young audience. This was evident during the penultimate night of the festival, when the host of the press conference asked young reporters which film they liked the most. The response from the youth jury revealed that The Brave Mafia was among their top three favorites.
For my colleagues and me, however, there was an additional reason to celebrate the recognition of this film. We were thrilled that a production from Isfahan had finally emerged that could compete head-to-head with prominent films and well-known directors while holding its own. From the day The Brave Mafia premiered, we had a strong sense that it would make its mark at the festival’s closing ceremony. That feeling only grew stronger as the nominees in each category were announced.
We finally reached the closing ceremony. The hall was filled with stars from the world of acting, and all eyes were on them. To be honest, mine were too, but a part of my attention kept shifting to the team behind The Brave Mafia. This was because, during an interview with Isfahan-e Ziba—soon to be published—they had expressed some grievances about how the festival organizers had treated them. For that reason, I was particularly interested in observing how the festival staff would interact with them now that their work had turned into a surprise success and earned a presence at the closing ceremony.
Although a designated seating area was arranged for the team, each member of The Brave Mafia was scattered among the media section. I waited for a while to see if any of the festival staff would approach them and guide them to their reserved seats. My patience was in vain—no one came. In the end, I decided to approach the producer myself. Eventually, when the team gathered and attempted to move to their designated area, they were stopped by security. Although they managed to enter their rightful place after identifying themselves, the contrast in how they were treated compared to other nominees was stark and noticeable.
I couldn’t help but feel a deep regret, as once again, it became evident that we, as a people, have a tendency to admire outsiders while remaining blind to the potential within our own city and province. Even when Hamed Golnari’s name was announced as the winner of the Honorary Diploma for Best Screenplay, the cameras struggled to find him, as no one seemed to recognize who he was.
To some extent, one might excuse the organizers for not knowing these individuals before the awards were presented. However, from this moment onward, there is no justification for such ignorance. Now that the city’s cultural officials have witnessed firsthand that, with a bit of support, Isfahan’s artists can stand shoulder to shoulder with the nation’s most renowned talents, there can be no further excuse for the city and provincial authorities to neglect supporting and investing in local artists.
At Isfahan-e Ziba, we too will strive, within our capacity, to amplify the voices of the artists from the cultural and artistic capital of Islamic Iran.
