Short Film News (SFN) - The second Kabul Documentary and Short Film Festival opened yesterday, June 17th, in Afghanistan and five Iranian films are going to be shown during this event.

Among 130 works sent to this festival, five Iranian films are selected to be participated in the competition section of this festival: Below the Pine Trees by Hadi Arafideh, SEVAS by Mohammad Ali Hashem Zehi, Superstitious Sound by Kereshmeh Afsari, Noise by Babak Tabrizi Minaghi, and Time to Smoke a Cigarette by Bita Khodadad. The second edition of Kabul Documentary and Short Film Festival is being held by the cooperation of some Afghani organizations, German Goethe Institution, French Cultural Centre and its motto is Discovering New Talents.

Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Germany, and France are the countries participating in the competition section of this festival by being presented five films each. But since the quality of Iranian films received were very high, they have decided to hold an Iranian Film Week presenting all 130 films that were sent to this event.

This festival was opened by the lectures of Abdollah Karim Khorram, the Cultural Minister of Afghanistan, and Malek Shafi'i, the Execution Secretary of this festival and the welcome messages of Germany and France ambassadors were read. After that End of the Land by Malek Shafi'i, the winner of last year's festival was shown. Afghan people have welcomed this festival very much.

Marjan Riahi, Iranian journalist, documentary filmmaker and the manager of Short Film News is among the jury members of this festival and the jury is going to start reviewing the works today.

Riahi is going to have a lecture on June 18th about Iranian documentaries in France Cultural Centre in Kabul and after that she is going to talk to Afghan young filmmakers.

The second edition of Documentary and Short Film Festival will be continued till June 21st in Lise Esteghlal and Pouhentoon Talim & Tarbiat Hall in Kabul.