Iranian Movie 'Muhammad (PBUH)' to Debut at Fajr Int'l Film Festival

During a visit to the movie’s location near the city of Qom, south of Tehran, Ayoubi told the Tasnim News Agency that the first screening of Majid Majidi’s grand work will be at the 33rd Fajr International Film Festival, slated to open on February 1 in the Iranian capital.

He added that Iran’s Cinema Organization will provide required supports for screening the movie internationally.

The Oscar-nominated Iranian filmmaker’s latest movie is on the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Produced by Mohammad Mehdi Heidarian, the film has been set to be released in Persian, Arabic and English.

A number of internationally-acclaimed professionals, including Academy Award winning visual effects supervisor and filmmaker Scott E. Anderson, three-time Oscar-winning Italian director of photography Vittorio Storaro and renowned Croat production designer Milijen Kreka Kljakovic collaborated in the project.

Earlier this week, Majidi was quoted as saying that the main motive behind his grand cinematic project was to debunk the extremist moves by those who resort to violence in the name of Islam.

He also noted that the movie is now in its post-production phase, adding that the work on the special effects and music composition are also underway with the utmost care so that it would have the merit of a movie about the great prophet of Islam.

Majidi further added that the cinema fans have high expectation of his new project, saying the Iranian Muslims have asked him to battle against the wave of violence and extremism with this art.

Muslims are awaiting the message of love and kindness endowed by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Majidi noted, and said his new movie could be a manifestation of opposition to the extremists who spawn violence in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Pakistan and elsewhere.

Majid Majidi is an internationally and critically acclaimed Iranian film director, film producer, and screen writer whose films have touched on many themes and genres and has won many international awards.

His acclaimed film, Children of Heaven (1997), was the first Iranian film to have been nominated for an Academy Award (Best Foreign Language Film) in 1999.

Majidi’s 1999 film 'The Color of Paradise' was chosen one of the best 10 films of the year in the US in 2000.