Ammar Film Festival Unveils Exciting Official Poster: A Sneak Peek into This Year’s Cinematic Celebration!
The Ammar Popular Film Festival has officially unveiled its poster for the international section of its 16th edition during a press conference in Tehran on November 10, 2025. Designed by Yemeni cartoonist Kamal Sharaf, the poster features a motion picture camera projecting an image of a keffiyeh and the Palestinian flag, symbolizing the festival’s commitment to highlighting social justice through art.
During the event, Marzieh Hashemi, the festival’s secretary, emphasized the significance of the festival’s timing, coinciding with critical regional developments and the awakening of nations following Operation Al-Aqsa Storm. She stated, “Today, artists from around the world—particularly from Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen, Africa, and South America—stand alongside oppressed peoples.”
Hashemi further invited global artists to join in this “visual and meaningful battle” to represent the voice of justice-seeking nations. “We call on resistance artists worldwide to submit their works in these fields, aiming to host a novel and impactful festival,” she explained.
This year’s Ammar Festival will feature a diverse range of categories, including:
- Short films
- Semi-feature films
- Feature fiction films
- Documentaries
- Animations
- Music videos
- Television productions
- News and blogs
- Works related to artificial intelligence
Hashemi remarked, “We invite artists globally to speak out through art about resistance, anti-imperialism, and anti-Zionism. Now is the best time to voice this message.” She pointed out the growing dangers for resistance artists, particularly in the United States, Europe, and Canada, where they often face security accusations.
“The international environment has become extremely dangerous for resistance artists,” she stated, adding that the hegemonic powers in America are concerned about the unprecedented awakening of nations, especially among the youth, since 1947.
The organizers of the festival have issued a call for participation in the international section under the compelling theme “America, the Vanguard of Crime.” This theme invites artists, filmmakers, poets, writers, and cultural activists worldwide to engage in the struggle for truth, utilizing art as a powerful weapon against oppression and injustice.
This year’s festival aims to showcase works that embody the universal spirit of resistance and that reveal truths amidst distortion. Key topics for submission include:
- The heroic narrative of Operation Al-Aqsa Storm
- The conditions in Gaza under siege
- The crimes of the Zionist regime from a perspective of truth and conscience
- Evolution of Palestinian resistance—from stones to rockets, poetry to martyrdom
- History of occupation—from deceptive promises to disgraceful walls
- Stories of borderless heroes, martyrs, and resistance fighters
- Experiences of women on the front lines and families of martyrs
In addition to Palestinian themes, the festival encourages submissions exploring the broader resistance movements across:
- Lebanon
- Yemen
- Iraq
- Syria
- Afghanistan
- Azerbaijan
- Pakistan
- Africa
Submissions that showcase protests, campaigns against normalization, and personal testimonies of exile and imprisonment are highly encouraged. Furthermore, narratives addressing U.S. military interventions and their consequences in Iraq and Afghanistan are relevant to the festival’s themes.
The Ammar Popular Film Festival also promotes an initiative called “Our Film,” inviting the public, especially youth, to produce short films using any camera or mobile device. Participants are encouraged to capture scenes from daily life, resistance celebrations, protests, or missile launches. Submissions for this initiative are open until December 11, providing grassroots voices an opportunity to contribute to the global resistance movement through art.
Established in 2010 by a group of Iranian revolutionary figures, the Ammar Popular Film Festival honors film and art that promote resistance and revolution. Named after Ammar Yasir, a close companion of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the festival aims to inspire and mobilize artists worldwide.
As the 16th Ammar Popular Film Festival unfolds, it promises to be a significant platform for voices advocating justice and resistance against oppression, encouraging artists to engage in this vital cultural dialogue.
Photo: Marzieh Hashemi, secretary of the 16th Ammar Popular Film Festival, stands beside the official poster for the event’s international section during a press conference in Tehran on November 10, 2025.
