“Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and the possibility of continuation of this situation by autumn, the IIDCYA has decided to organize the festival online with making some modifications to its programs,” said the festival director Mohammadreza Zomorrodian, who is also the IIDCYA Deputy Director for Cultural Affairs.

“With about 17,000 submissions from across the world, the previous edition of the event was warmly welcomed, and it would be a pity if the festival were to be canceled this year,” he added.

The call for entries will be published during August and the festival will be held during autumn. 

Zomorrodian said that IIDCYA’s Storytelling Association has regularly held its educational courses over the past few months, and numerous students have attended the courses, which have held online.

Sara Kasir, an experienced storyteller from Lebanon, and Iranian storyteller Mehdi Mohammadian shared first prize during the 22nd International Storytelling Festival, which took place in Tehran in December 2019.

The jury did not announce a winner for second place in the international competition, while third prize was shared by Iranian storytellers Maryam Fahimpur, Kimia Yaqubi, and Solmaz Sadeqzadeh. 

Source: Tehran Times