Iran launches Arabic iFilm channel

The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting has launched a 24/7 Arabic-language network that airs Iranian-made movies and TV dramas to the viewers in the Arab World.

The new channel, named iFilm, was officially inaugurated on Thursday, marking Eid al-Fitr, the celebration marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hosseini, IRIB director Ezzatollah Zarghami, IRIB Deputy Director for International Affairs Mohammad Sarafraz and Palestinian Authority’s Ambassador to Iran Salah Zawawi were present at the inauguration ceremony.

The channel’s programs are currently being dubbed into Arabic in Syria, Lebanon and United Arab Emirates.

The new satellite network will broadcast live quizzes on arts, backstage documentaries on films and ongoing productions, film reviews, short-length films and documentaries. The channel’s target viewers would be around 300 million across the globe.

iFilm’s film editing equipment and systems and archive of film records as well as its broadcasting equipment have been assembled by the IRIB World Service engineers and are totally automated.

The iFilm international channel will broadcast on Badr 4 (Arabsat), frequency: 12169 MHz, vertical polarization, symbol rate: 27500, FEC 3/4.

It can also be received on Atlantic Bird 4A (Nilesat), frequency: 11393 MHz, vertical position, symbol rate: 27500, FEC 3/4; and Eutelsat W6, frequency: 11564 MHz, vertical position, symbol rate: 3214, FEC 3/4.