'Offside' to open Riga Film Festival

LONDON, September 11 (IranMania) - Iranian director Jafar Panahis controversial flick Offside will be screened at the opening ceremony of the 20th Riga International Film Forum Arsenals, MNA reported.

Offside is about six Iranian girls who disguise themselves as boys to enter Tehrans Azadi Stadium to watch the 2006 World Cup Asian zone qualifier between Iran and Bahrain, but they are arrested one after another.

Five of the 15 films which will be screened at the festivals competitive section come from the Middle East.

Besides Offside, Ali-Mohammad Qassemis Writing on the Earth and Mohammad Ahmadis Poet of the Wastes are other Iranian films that will be screened at the event.

Qassemis first feature-length film and Panahis controversial film will be vying for awards at the competitive section of the festival.

Rigas special prize equals 10,000 dollars which will be presented to the competitive sections best film. Another prize will be given to the movie agreed by festivals critics.

The festival will open on September 16 and end on September 24 in Latvia.

Writing on the Earth will be experiencing its 7th presence at international events.

The film has already been screened at the international festivals in Italy, South Korea, Britain, Slovakia, the Netherlands, and India.