She will be judging the films competing in the International Competition section along with Sandra den Hamer, the director of Eye Film Museum in the Netherlands, Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude, Spanish composer Alfonso de Vilallonga and Syrago Tsiara, director of the Thessaloniki Centre of Contemporary Art.

The juries will be awarding the Golden and Silver Alexanders plus a number of additional awards at the festival running until November 11.

Motamed-Arya was a jury member of the 75th Venice International Film Festival in summer.

In addition, Villalonga, who is also a member of the international jury this year, will present a special concert with songs he wrote for films such as Isabel Coixet’s “The Bookshop”.

He will be accompanied by Spanish guitarist Pau Figueras, singer and trombonist Rita Payés and a string quartet of Greek musicians led by Andonis Sousamoglou of the Thessaloniki State Symphony Orchestra.

The concert named “Music for Films & Cabaret” will take place at the Duende jazz bar on November 8.

The post Fatemeh Motamed-Arya on panel of Thessaloniki film festival appeared first on Iran News Daily.

Motamed-Arya will judge the films competing in the Horizons section together with American director Michael Almereyda, French critic Frédéric Bonnaud, Egyptian screenwriter Mohamed Hefzy, Canadian director Alison McLean and Italian director Andrea Pallaoro.

Greek director Athina Tsangari will preside over the jury.

Motamed-Arya is famous for her roles in such acclaimed movies as “The Blue-Veiled” and “Gilaneh”.

In addition, the U.S.-based Iranian filmmaker Ramin Bahrani will chair the Luigi De Laurentiis Venice Award, a section which recognizes the best first work.

Italian actress Carolina Crescentini, Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, Japanese curator Hayashi Kanako and Argentinian director Gastòn Solnicki will accompany Bahrani in this section.

In a statement published on Wednesday, the organizers of the Fajr International Film Festival, Iran’s most important film event, congratulated Motamed-Arya and Bahrani on their appointments.

“Your selection as jury members of the Venice film festival is a great honor for the family of Iranian cinema,” the statements reads.

UK-based Iranian filmmaker Ebrahim Golestan’s “The Brick and the Mirror” (1964) has been selected to go on screen in the Venezia Classici, a section dedicated to restored classics from world cinema.

Mexican director Guillermo del Toro will be the president of the international jury, which will assign the Golden Lion for best film and other official awards.

Photo: Actress Fatemeh Motamed Arya in an undated photo 

The post Fatemeh Motamed Arya on panel of Venice film festival appeared first on Iran News Daily.