(Photo by Marzieh Mousavi)

Prominent researchers and artists were honored during a ceremony on Tuesday in the presence of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Soureh Mehr To Release 300 Titles

Soureh Mehr Publications is preparing 300 book titles for the new Iranian year (to start March 21). This year the center released 395 book titles of which ‘Nouroddin; Iran’s Son’, ‘A Foot Which Was Left Behind’ and ‘Shonam’ were its bestsellers, IBNA wrote.
An official of the center Mehdi Mohammadi said, “In 2012-2013 Soureh Mehr Publications released 90 first prints and 305 reprints.”
The electronic versions of ‘Nouroddin; Iran’s Son’ and ‘Da’ were produced while ‘Nouroddin; Iran’s Son’ was honored in Jalal al-e Ahamd Literary Award and ‘A Foot Which Was Left Behind’ was chosen as Martyr Ghanipour Festival’s Book of the Year.

Parvin Award Winners Named

The winners and authors of praiseworthy works who had their works screened by the panel of judges for the 5th Parvin Etesami Award are announced.
The ceremony was held in the presence of the minister of culture and Islamic guidance, Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini, at the Research Center of Culture, Arts and Architecture in Tehran, IBNA said.
The following is the list of the winners and praiseworthy works of the award:
1. Poetry:
‘The Republic of Sonnets’ by Fatemeh Mousavi, ‘Fiery Crayon Writings’ by Raheleh Memarian
2. Fiction:
‘Shahrivar of the Year a Thousand and Three Hundred’ and ‘I Don’t Know What’, by Tala Nejadhassan
‘My Mother’s Dream’ (by Alice Munro) translated into Persian by Taraneh Alidousti
3. Research Literature
‘Theory and Critique of Post-Colonialism’ by Azadeh Shahmiri
4. Children’s Literature:
‘Just an Ice Cream Cone ‘ by Elham Hosseini Zaveh, ‘The Flower Office is Now Open’ by Maryam Zandi, ‘Go Forward and Hoot’ by Fatemeh Kavandi, ‘The Return of Hardad’ by Fariba Kalhor

iFilm Available in English

The English edition of Iran’s 24-hour entertainment and movie channel iFilm has been launched.
With the start of the English-language broadcast on Monday, iFilm will entertain its viewers with historical dramas, family dramas and comedies.
Initially launched in August 2010, iFilm presents dubbed Iranian films and serials to the world, Press TV said.
The channel has already been airing movies subbed in Arabic. The channel could be watched on the following frequencies:

Hotbird 13B at 13.0° E
Frequency: 11727 (TP XP50)
FEC: ¾
Polarization: V
Symbol Rate: 27500

Optus D2 at 152° E
Frequency: 12706 (TP 8L)
FEC: ¾
Polarization: V
Symbol Rate: 22500

Eutelsat 7 West A at 7.3° (Nilesat)
Frequency: 11679 (TP C25)
FEC: ¾
Polarization: H
Symbol Rate: 27500

Intelsat 10at 47.5° E (Europe Africa beam)
Frequency: 12602 (TP 21 K)
FEC: ¾
Polarization: V
Symbol Rate: 27500

‘Bani and Nani’ Inspired by Allen

Iranian screenwriter Mohsen Mirzakhani said he has written the animated series ‘Bani and Nani’, inspired by Woody Allen’s satire.
“I do love satire. For me the biggest tragedy of life is considered as satire and I was also influenced by Woody Allen in some other works,” he told ISNA.
Directed by Mohammad Reza Najafi-Emami and Behtash Sanai, the series is currently being broadcast every night from Pooya, an Iranian satellite channel that is dedicated to showing animations.
The 52-episode series tells the story of Bani and Nani, two satirical characters, in different social situations.
“None of the characters are completely good or evil, but we try to show different aspects of human character in various situations,” he said.

Marlon Brando Property Highlights Heritage Auctions

Marlon Brando’s 1954 ‘Best Actor’ Golden Globe award for his performance in On the Waterfront is expected to bring $10,000+ to highlight a never-before-offered selection of his personal property in Heritage Auction’s March 30 Entertainment & Music Memorabilia Signature Auction.
The award is one of two of Brando’s Golden Globes offered--the second was won by the actor for being named World Film Favorite a year later in 1955. For a now unknown reason, though in a classic Brando-esque move, he threw this second award against the wall at his home, breaking off the top female statuette and scratching the placard--the piece was not repaired until decades later and still carries evidence of its damage at Brando’s hands. It carries a pre-auction estimate of $6,000+.
The awards join a rare glamor shot signed shortly after Norma Jean Baker changed her name to Marilyn Monroe, expected to fetch $8,000+, and highlights a large selection of Monroe photographs and autographs, including a trove of never-before-seen snapshots, estimated to bring $4,000+, ArtDaily said.
Brando’s Golden Globe awards were gifted to his longtime personal assistant, who kept a number of personal items the actor gave her, ranging from his costume worn in The Ugly American, expected to bring $1,600+, to an oil painting created by Stanley Kubrick’s wife Christiane (estimate: $1,200+) and a selection of his Gucci and Chanel neckties, which carry a pre-auction estimate of $600+.

British Museum Most Popular Again

The British Museum was the UK’s most popular visitor attraction in 2012 - the sixth year running it has been so.
The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (Alva) said the London venue attracted 5.6 million visitors. Artist Damien Hirst’s retrospective contributed to a 9% rise in Tate Modern visitors, which had 5.3 million.
Despite bad weather and the Olympics, there was an overall 5.1% increase in visitors at all UK attractions, from 87.7 million in 2011 to 92.1 million, BBC said.
Visitors were briefly deterred from central London during the games, but Alva director Bernard Donohue called the recovery “almost immediate”.
At the British Museum, the exhibition curated by Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry, which explored the depths of the museum and showed 170 objects alongside 30 of his own creations, was in part responsible for helping it continue its reign as the most popular visitor attraction.
However its 5.6 million visitor figure was a 4.7% drop year-on-year. Tate Modern on London’s South Bank moved up a place to second position with 5.3 million visitors - a 9% rise from 2011.
The Victoria & Albert Museum had its best year on record, with a 16% rise to 3.2 million visitors, thanks to its Hollywood Costume exhibitions in Autumn 2012. While The National Portrait Gallery’s Lucian Freud Portraits exhibit helped moved it up one place to eighth position and saw an increase of 12%, with 2.1 million visitors.
Although the Olympic and Paralympic Games affected visitor numbers in Central London for a brief period, it was the weather that had the biggest impact in 2012.
Of the 30 attractions which saw more than a 10% drop in numbers, 27 were gardens or outdoor attractions. Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum in Glasgow achieved a 5.8% increase with around one million visitors, making it the most visited combined art gallery and museum.
One of the largest rises year-on-year (53%) was seen by the new Museum of Liverpool, which opened in July 2011 and was the most visited museum in England, outside of London.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):

Paradise is nearer to you than the thongs of your sandals; and the Hell
likewise.