Los Angeles, CA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/19/2007 --Noor committee planners have finalized plans for their first Iranian Film Festival. The festivities are set to launch with an opening ceremony scheduled on February 1, 2007 at the LAX Hilton. The event will offer a three course sit down dinner, a live musical performance by Strunz and Farah, a live dance performance by Beshkan Dance Academy and a stand-up comedy performance by Peter the Persian. Keynote speaks are Mark Amin (Lions Gate Films) and Shally Zomorodi (Mrs. California Globe 2007).

Following the next day, film screenings and panel discussions have been scheduled February 2-4 at the Silent Movie Theater between 2-9 pm. There is an after party scheduled at 10:00 pm also at the Silent Movie Theater. The closing ceremony will be at the Silent Movie Theater on February 4, after the final film screenings from 11 am-8 pm.

Noor film festival director Siamak Ghahremani confirmed that the celebrity judges will be: Natasha Henstridge (Species, Whole Nine Yards), Maz Jobrani (Friday After Next, ABC’s Knights of Prosperity), Harry J. Lennix (Matrix Reloaded, Matrix Revolution), Sean Toub (Crash, The Nativity) and Kyle Secor (City Slickers, Commander in Chief). This year’s theme is tolerance. “Given the current global climate of fear, we wanted our inaugural year to make a bold statement about the need for compassion, understanding and tolerance,” says Ghahremani.

About the Noor Film Festival:

Noor’s mission is to foster a greater appreciation of Iranian-American culture and its contribution to the American cultural landscape, independent of religious and political ideology, through the medium of cinema.

For a detailed schedule, please visit: www.noorfilmfestival.com.

For additional information, press credentials and interviews contact:

Mona Loring
805/231-3182
contact@monaloring.com
M. Loring Communications PR