Combining Italian-style neorealism, Persian culture, and allegorical elements that circumvent the censorial mind-set, Iranian cinema is distinctive and influential. Post-revolution Iranian directors have continued to inspire independent filmmakers worldwide. The back-to-basics Danes who formed the Dogme 95 collective had to create a list of commandments in order to achieve the non-artificiality that, to Iranian filmmakers, seems to come naturally. Audiences, meanwhile, have embraced Iranian cinema, but although releases such as Asghar Farhadi's About Elly or Jafar Panahi's Closed Curtain have been exhibited theatrically, foreign-language screens are more likely to show European sex farces and wartime-set historical dramas than stories about Iranian life. Helping to increase viewer opportunities, the eighth annual Iranian Film Festival features two days of films made by and about Iranians. Highlights include a screening of The President, a satire directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf (Kandahar) and inspired by the Arab Spring. Also look for a tribute to Gohar Kheirandish (Bonoo), which the actress will attend. Additional narrative features plus documentaries and short films complete the bill.
The 2015 Iranian Film Festival will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, and continue through Sunday, Sept. 27, at the San Francisco Art Institute, 800 Chestnut St., S.F. $11-$12; 415-251-8433 or IranianFilmFestival.org. Anita Katz
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