It can be said that the history of movie poster design in Iran began simultaneously with the introduction of cinema to the country. On October 13, 1907 (21 Mehr 1286), the first movie screening advertisement was published in the photographic studio of Russi Khan Ivanov and in the “Habl al-Matin” newspaper.
The First Iranian Cinema Posters; From Habl al-Matin to Cinema Pharos
With the increasing public interest and the official recognition of cinema in Iranian society, the first Iranian cinema poster was published in the autumn of 1909 as an invitation to watch a film at Cinema Pharos.
However, it should be noted that based on available historical documents, this is recognized as the first movie poster, and there were likely other posters printed before this date.
Poster Design for the Early Iranian Films
After the introduction of cinema, it was time to design posters for domestic productions. Two of the most important early examples include:
- “Abi and Rabi”: Directed by Ovanes Ohanian, it was one of the first Iranian films to have a poster designed for it. The image on this poster shows the actors staring out of the frame in astonishment.
- “Lor Girl” (1337 SH): Directed by Abdolhossein Sepanta, this was also one of the first Iranian cinema posters, designed by the Imperial Film Company in Bombay.
After this historical period, Iranian calligraphers and painters stepped in and began designing professional and independent posters for domestic films.
