Iranian cinema in 1402 (2023/24) through a statistical lens

Iranian cinema in 1402 (2023/24), after relatively turbulent days that it passed through over the past three years for various reasons such as COVID-19 and the political and social conditions of society, reached a relative calm. For this reason one can look at its statistics and figures without the effect of extra-textual factors and consider them a good basis for analyzing the overall status of Iranian cinema and its capacities and limitations.
The Statistical Yearbook of Film Sales and Cinema in Iran, which has examined the status of Iranian cinema with a data-driven approach and from various angles has addressed the cinema industry of Iran, is a suitable source for this matter. For this reason, in this note, the important and significant sections of the Statistical Yearbook of Film Sales and Cinema in Iran are examined. On this basis and relying on the data that are available, the status of Iranian cinema will be examined from two aspects, "feature films" and "cinema".

Growth in the number of feature films released in 1402 (2023/24)

Given that in 1402 (2023/24) many feature films —from previous years— were in the queue for release, we have witnessed an increase in the number of feature films released. In 1402 (2023/24), 72 feature films were sent into cinema halls, which compared with 1401 (2022/23) is 13 more films released. Also the number of films released in the "Art and Experience group" and "foreign films" has increased. In 1401 (2022/23), 17 Art and Experience group feature films and 22 foreign films had been released, which in 1402 (2023/24) the number of Art and Experience group feature films increased to 41 feature films and foreign films to 32 feature films.

Number of films released in 1402 (2023/24)

The highest-grossing and most-watched feature films of 1402 (2023/24)

The total number of cinema admissions in the country in 1402 (2023/24) was 28,258,271 people, which compared with 1401 (2022/23) increased by 14.6 million people. Also Iranian cinema box office revenue in 1402 (2023/24) was 1,224 billion tomans, which relative to Iranian cinema box office in 1401 (2022/23) (420 billion tomans) has approximately tripled. A look at the list of feature films with the most admissions in 1402 (2023/24) shows that the feature film "Fasil", directed by Karim Amini, with 7,434,625 admissions, was the most-watched film of Iranian cinema in 1402 (2023/24). This film also, with an average ticket price of 433,618 rials, had box office of 322.3 billion tomans and took the title of the highest-grossing feature film of 1402 (2023/24) as well. The feature film "Hotel" with 6,246,505 admissions has been placed in second among the films with the most admissions. Hotel with 275.9 billion tomans in box office has been placed in second rank of the highest-grossing feature films of 1402 (2023/24). The feature film "Hawaii" too, with 83.5 billion tomans in box office, has been placed in the position of the third highest-grossing film of Iranian cinema in 1402 (2023/24).

Ten highest-grossing Iranian films released in the country's cinemas in 1402 (2023/24)

An examination of Iran's ten highest-grossing films in 1402 (2023/24) by genre shows that feature films with the comedy genre have consolidated their dominance over the Iranian cinema box office and the four highest-grossing films of 1402 (2023/24) were comedies. Unlike the years of the 90s, when feature films with the social genre accounted for a considerable share of the box office, in 1402 (2023/24), only two films, "Villa-ye Saheli" and "Se Kam-e Habs", with the social genre, are among the ten highest-grossing films. Another noteworthy point in examining the genre of feature films that were high-grossing is the continued presence of representatives of children-and-adolescents feature films. The feature film "Bacheh Zerang" had box office of 62.5 billion tomans and was able to take sixth place among the year's highest-grossing films; also the feature film "Nargil 2" had box office of 28.1 billion tomans and was able to have a good performance at the box office.
By examining the box office of Iran's feature films in 1402 (2023/24) one can say that although Iranian cinema box office has increased and one can consider it a positive matter, when inflation and the increase in ticket prices are taken into account, that amount is reduced. Also a look at the world cinema box office and leading countries shows that Iranian cinema box office still has a large distance from a desirable status and global indicators.

Status of Art and Experience group feature films in 1402 (2023/24)

Art and Experience group films in most years receive less attention from audiences and the total number of their admissions is not a considerable figure. In 1402 (2023/24), although the number of films released increased markedly and in total 41 feature films were released, still the number of their audiences is very small. A look at the Art and Experience group feature films with the most admissions shows that the feature film "My Captain" with 8,551 admissions and box office of 344 million tomans has been placed first among the Art and Experience group feature films with the most admissions and the highest box office. The feature films "Isatis", "Moqiman-e Nakaja" and "Pesar-e Ensan" are also other Art and Experience group feature films that have been able to have more than 5 thousand viewers.

Ten Iranian Art and Experience group films in 1402 (2023/24) by number of admissions

Although Art and Experience feature films have their own particular nature and philosophy and aims and one should not examine them only from the perspective of attracting a number of audiences, these films struggle with many problems and need attention and appropriate policymaking. Another interesting point is the multiplicity and diversity of the genre of these films; a look at the genre of Art and Experience group feature films shows that they have been made in various genres such as "documentary", "narrative", "social", "drama", "animation", "family", "Sacred Defense (Iran–Iraq War)", "science fiction", "fantasy" and so on.

Foreign feature films; little-noticed strangers in Iranian cinema

In 1402 (2023/24), 32 foreign feature films were screened in cinema halls, which like previous years have had a particular and small audience. It seems that audiences and followers of world feature films, given their being censored on the one hand and free access to foreign feature films on the other, prefer watching them somewhere other than cinema halls. A look at the foreign films screened in 1402 (2023/24) shows that the feature film "The Conjuring 3", with 48,572 viewers, was the foreign feature film with the most admissions. The feature films "Gravity 3D", "A Quiet Place 2" and "the animation Luca" are also respectively in the next ranks. In addition to these, most of the films screened are products of the United States, and apart from a few French and Japanese films there is no news of feature films from other countries.

Ten foreign films with the most admissions screened in 1402 (2023/24)

This is while international collaborations are one of the ways of prosperity and flourishing of the cinema industry in Iran, and the requirement of this matter is making co-production films with countries such as China and Russia. Although the target market and economic return of co-production films often relate to the foreign market, the reception and willingness of audiences in the country of origin is one of the important causes of creating this type of collaboration for destination countries, and this point must be heeded, and measures must be taken toward promoting the watching of world cinema films in cinema halls by Iranian audiences.

Status of Iranian cinema infrastructure

A data-driven look at the status of cinema halls indicates that there are 276 active cinemas and 751 screening halls in 31 provinces of the country. Also these halls in total have 131,487 seats. Given the number of Iranian cinema admissions in 1402 (2023/24), the average number of admissions per cinema hall was 37,628 people and the average sitting of an admission on each seat was 215 people. In addition, average revenue per cinema hall in 1402 (2023/24) was 1.63 billion tomans and average revenue per cinema seat is 9.3 million tomans.

The country's highest-grossing cinemas in the monopoly of Tehran

"Kourosh Cinema Multiplex", with more than 90 billion tomans in revenue and with a considerable gap relative to the country's other cinemas, has taken the title of the country's highest-grossing cinema. "Iran Mall Cinema Multiplex" with 59.8 billion tomans in revenue, after Kourosh Cinema Multiplex, is in second place. Shiraz's "Honar Shahr Aftab cinema complex" too, with 38.6 billion tomans, has been placed third among the country's highest-grossing cinemas. A noteworthy point in examining the country's highest-grossing cinemas is the prominent presence of Tehran's cinemas and the considerable share of their revenue from Iranian cinema box office in 1402 (2023/24). Such that in addition to "Kourosh Cinema Multiplex" and "Iran Mall Cinema Multiplex", the names of "Azadi Cinema Multiplex" and "Megamall Multiplex" are also seen. Tehran province, with more than 537 billion tomans in revenue that it has recorded, has accounted for approximately half of Iranian cinema box office in 1402 (2023/24).

The country's ten highest-grossing cinemas in 1402 (2023/24)

Conclusion

Iranian cinema in 1402 (2023/24) from two aspects, number of admissions and amount of box office, has witnessed suitable growth relative to 1401 (2022/23) and the years of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this year the number of films released has also been accompanied by an increase. Nonetheless the effects arising from inflation and the dominance of a small number of films, and those from the comedy genre, over the cinema box office must also not be ignored. Given the data of the present report it seems that the Iranian cinema box office has been reduced to single comedy films placed for several months on the silver screen that take most halls into their possession; evidence of this claim is the drop in the number and box office of films with the social genre. Iranian cinema has still not been placed on the path of becoming an industry, and this matter has various causes such as unstinting government support without regard to the amount of a film's box office, the entry of nontransparent financial resources, the decline of audience taste, and so on. It seems that attention to global markets and countries with a strong box office that are receptive to Iranian feature films, the production of international co-productions, and effort to elevate audience taste are among the solutions that would place Iranian cinema on the path of becoming a dynamic industry.

 

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