Melodies and compositions in the past were pleasant since they originated from within music elements.

TEHRAN, Sept. 8--Conductor of Shams Music Group said that although few quality works have been produced in the field of music, the lasting effects of these works will be determined with the passage of time.
According to the Persian daily Afarinesh, Keikhosrow Pournazeri added that the music suffers from such a routine and chaotic state that nobody even takes notice of its increasing types in tandem with the development of technology and mass media. "Almost no one attends to what one hears except a number of special people who are inclined to the original type of music," he pointed out.
Underlining that it is impossible to deal with the reasons why eternal melodies or compositions will not be produced in the near future, he also said that the melodies and compositions made in the past were pleasant since they originated from within the music elements. Not to mention that social tranquility was involved in the issue, he noted. "But now, life has become fully automated and compositions do not enjoy due elegance, so they influence the listeners only for a short time," he noted.
According to Pournazeri, compositions by musicians in the 50s and 60s were rooted in their pure feelings and true love.
However, despite their acceptable technical levels, most of the present compositions do not leave the desired impact on listeners because of their lack of emotional basis, the musician concluded.

TEHRAN, Sept. 8--Head of the center for Iranian film directors Alireza Raesian has criticized the process for public screening of films and said it is a barrier to the progress of the national cinema industry.
He told IRNA that Iran ranked 10th in terms of the quality of films while it is placed 15th as far as the screening requirements for filmmakers are concerned.
Raesian, who directed the films “Reyhaneh–, “Safar– and “The Deserted Station–, added that the capital for investment, the means for filmmaking, manpower and marketing should be upgraded to ensure the progress of the cinema sector.
—Cinema is a special category of industry. It does not follow a specific production line or special expertise and regardless of some similarity to industry, there are fundamental differences between cinema and industry. Of course, the stages preceding the production and marketing of films are accounted for as common grounds between industry and cinema.
Elaborating on expectations from the government in the cinema sector, he said that the government is expected to provide the cinema sector with hardware including cinema amphitheaters and technical equipment as well as the advanced technology.
He pointed out that while state contribution is essential to improve the infrastructure of the cinema sector, private sector investment in the cinema sector needs guarantees from the government to ensure capital return.
—Investment and guarantee for investment are interrelated to the process of industrialization of the cinema sector,š Raesian said.
He said that the artists are the software of the cinema industry.
Artists generate thoughts and ideas for producing films.
Civil establishments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) work as intermediaries between the government and the private sector, he noted.
The official also complained about lack of a well-defined plan for channeling investment to the cinema sector and described it as an obstacle to the transition of the cinema sector from service sector to industry sector.
Raesian underlined the need for advertisement for Iranian films and drawing attention of the cinemagoers both in the country and abroad and ceding the cultural administration to the private sector particularly those involved in the industry.

TEHRAN, Sept. 8--Some four noted Iranian flutists are among the participants in the International Flutists Festival which will open here at Niavaran Artistic Creativity Foundation on September 12 and continue for four days.
According to IRNA, flutists from nine countries will also take part at the event.
Hassan Nahid, Jamshid Andalibi, Shir-Mohammad Espandar and Abd-ol-Naqi Afshar-Nia are the Iranian flutists taking part in the festival. Flutists from India, Egypt, Turkey, Romania, Scotland, China, Ecuador and Lebanon are expected to attend the event.
Four outstanding flutists from Lebanon have so far expressed their willingness to take part in the festival while three outstanding flutists from India and Ahmad Gousel from Turkey will perform in the event.
Niavaran Artistic Creativity Foundation was also host to the first international dulcimer festival last year.

TEHRAN, Sept. 8--A seminar was held at the Nations Cultural House this week to study the impact of the holy Qur–an on the works of German poet and playwright Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).
At the gathering, a noted translator of Goethe's works, Mohammad Akhgari spoke about the life of the German poet and said that a poem by Goethe called 'Nice Hymn of Muhammad' is a symbol of Goethe's attention to the holy Qur–an.
He pointed out that biographers have divided Goethe's lifetime to thee sections--youth, adulthood and old age and said Goethe became acquainted with holy Qur–an at the age of 23 and composed his poetry 'Nice Hymn of Muhammad' under influence of Islamic perceptions.
He also compiled his anthology called 'Eastern and Western Poetry' which included 12 poems with Persian names including Eshq-nameh (love letter), Saqi-nameh (cupbearer–s letter) and Tafakor-nameh (letter of thought).
He said that Goethe successfully acquired knowledge of Islam at a time when there was unfair ambiance against Islam, nevertheless, he managed to learn the true Islam.
Akhgari said that Goethe highly appreciated the concept of monotheism and the messages of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and also the beauty of the nature as symbols of God–s might.
Goethe has also given special importance to the need to be submissive to the Almighty, he said.
Goethe, who was a genius, began composing poetry when he was 16.

TEHRAN, Sept. 8--Two Iranian animation films 'White Wingers' and 'Mahsa' directed by Abdollah Alimorad and Bijan Mirbaqeri respectively were admitted for screening at the Second International Short Films and Food Festival in Sydney, Australia.
Announcing this, the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA) said in a press release that the festival will get underway in the open air Sydney Olympic Park from the dusk of October 1 until the next morning. The films will be screened throughout the night.
National dishes from various countries will also be available in the pavilions on the sidelines of the festival and visitors will be served dinner.
Eight films from Australia, Canada, Croatia, Hungary, Iran, South Korea, Spain and Sweden will be screened in the competition section.
Several thousand Australians have shown keen interest in the international festival in Sydney.

TEHRAN, Sept. 8--A program on prospects of Swiss documentary films titled “New Outlook to Roots of Identity of Independent Documentary Films– will be held here at the Artists House on October 4.
Secretary of the event, Mehdi Abdollah-zadeh told IRNA that the four-day program will be held in three parts: film screening, workshop and seminar.
About 15 documentary films produced in Switzerland in the past five years will be screened in the event, he said noting that the selected films exemplify the documentary works of that country.
Meanwhile, Swiss documentary filmmakers will hold workshops on the sidelines of the program. Iranian and French documentary filmmakers will also hold seminar on independent documentary films and difficulties in producing them.

Shahin Farhat

TEHRAN, Sept. 8--An album by Iranian composer Shahin Farhat called “Malaek– (Angels) will be released in Germany soon.
Reporting this, the Persian daily Aftab said that Farhat had recorded an album of a symphony of string musical instruments and five classic songs in Armenia earlier this year.
Armenian singer Narbe Chulakian performed the songs to the works of great Iranian poets Hafez, Khayyam and Sadi.
Meanwhile, “Malaek– has been recorded by a German firm and probably will be available in Iran simultaneously with its release in Germany.
Farhat said that he was satisfied with the performance adding that it is the first time that a foreign firm has recorded Persian classic songs.
Asked about “Damavand– symphony and “Imam Reza (AS)– symphony, he said that he will perform Damavand symphony soon and will work out the symphony on Imam Reza (AS) for performance before focusing on a new work.

Some 22 plays from Tehran and ten plays from the other cities will be performed at the event.

TEHRAN, Sept. 8--The Tenth International Puppet Show Festival will be held with the participation of groups performing in the semiprofessional, professional, amateur, open-air and foreign sections.
Announcing this, the acting director of the festival, Behrouz Gharibpour told reporters that a total of 210 scripts have so far been submitted to the festival–s secretariat, of which 54 scripts will be selected for the event by the group in charge of reviewing the entries.
Of the selected items, some 22 plays from Tehran and ten plays from the other cities will be performed, he noted.
He also referred to the performing category of the open-air section and said that some 19 scripts have so far been received, of which ten have been found acceptable. Six of them will be performed in various parks of Tehran.
Gharibpour added that 19 performing groups from 17 countries will take part at the event with 25 plays.
Training workshops and an exhibition of masks will be held on the sidelines of the festival, he said, noting, "The festival will open in the City Theater's open space on September 13 and will end with a ceremony in Vahdat Hall on September 19."