Held annually since 1982 on the anniversary of Iran’s Islamic Revolution and organised by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance the Fajr Film Festival is the most important film festival in Iran. The festival showcases both the best of Iranian cinema and a selection of international productions. The festival also provides a meeting point for the film communities of East and West. The British films screening at the Fajr Film Festival are Shooting Dogs and Frozen.

Shooting Dogs [pictured left] is a powerful story about a priest, Father Christopher (John Hurt), and young teacher Joe (Hugh Dancy) who are caught up in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. With help from the British Council one of the producers of Shooting Dogs, David Belton who also co-wrote the story and was in Rwanda as a young BBC documentary maker during the genocide, will attend the festival and introduce the film.

Shirley Henderson in Frozen

Frozen, starring Shirley Henderson, is the first feature of award-winning director Juliet McKoen. Set in the stark beauty of Morecambe Bay, north west England, Frozen is a story about unresolved loss and the inherent danger of hope turning into obsession.