TEHRAN (Iran News) – The Chinese cultural attaché in Tehran, Joe Xie Hao, has visited the Soureh Cinema Organization of the Art Bureau.

The expansion of cinematic relations was discussed in Hao’s meeting with the director of the organization, Hamidreza Jafarian, the Art Bureau of the Islamic Ideology Dissemination Organization announced on Monday.

“Due to the organization’s great potential for producing series, documentary, short and animated films, it can cooperate with China in joint film projects as there are strong cultural affinities between Iran and China that can help provide subjects and stories for the cinematic collaboration between the countries,” Jafarian said at the meeting.

Hao also praised the organization for the variety of its achievements and said that the achievements can help develop cinematic cooperation between Iran and China.

He added, “Cinematic relations between Iran and China have increased over the past three years and this development has occurred due to a memorandum of understanding signed between the Cinema Organization of Iran and Chinese film organizations.”

He referred to Iranian filmmakers’ frequent visits to the Shanghai and Beijing film festivals and the awards they have won at the international Chinese events, and said that China is eager to promote Iranian films in the Chinese film market and develop cooperation on joint film projects.

“China enjoys a strong film market,” Hao noted and expressed his hope that the upcoming cooperation between the Art Bureau’s Soureh Cinema Organization and Chinese film centers would spawn productions for the market.

The meeting went on with screening scenes from “Loopetou”, an animated film directed by Abbas Askari at the Soureh Cinema Organization.

The movie is about a psychiatrist who employs toys to cure his patients.

Hao said that the Chinese government supports plans to produce animated films and added that China welcomes the Soureh Cinema Organization’s ideas for joint productions in this area.

Earlier in February, Cinema Organization of Iran director Mohammad Khazaei and the Chinese ambassador to Tehran, Chang Hua, held a meeting to discuss the execution of memorandums of understanding signed by Iran and China to widen relations in the film industry.

Photo: Soureh Cinema Organization director Hamidreza Jafarian (1st L) and his colleagues hold a meeting with Chinese Cultural Attaché Joe Xie Hao (3rd L) and his colleague in Tehran.