Taking place each year on the anniversary of the Iranian Revolution, the 33rd edition of the Fajr International Film Festival kicked off in Tehran on Jan. 31. Iran's Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Ali Jannati, and the Minister of Employment and Social Affairs, Ali Rabi, along with Iranian cinema figures attended the festival's opening ceremony, which was held at Milad Tower in Tehran. In his speech, the General Coordinator of the festival, Ali Rıza Rızadad, said that, as Iranian artists, they condemn the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo's disrespectful comments and illustrations targeting Prophet Muhammad. Additionally, prominent Iranian author Seyyid Mehdi read a passage from a book that focuses on Muhammad's birth, childhood and life, and singer Ferhad Mihrad performed the praise he wrote for Muhammad. Moreover, actors, directors and veterans of Iranian cinema signed a letter of condemnation and protest that was published by the festival's coordinators. Jannati addressed Rabi in his speech and asked him to ensure the social securities of people who work in the cinema industry and let them benefit from unemployment insurance. The well-known Iranian director Majid Majidi, who is the jury president of this year's festival, was not able to attend the opening ceremony as he was in Germany completing his latest film "Muhammad," which focuses on the life of Islam's greatest prophet. The festival held two different sections for Iranian and foreign films for the first time this year, which will see 58 Iranian films compete in the festival as part of the following categories: Iranian cinema, debut film, documentary and artistic-experimental cinema. The festival will run until Feb. 11 in 29 theaters in Tehran.