Iran’s culture minister has said that Iranian movies should have a screening permit from the Islamic Republic’s authorities to be allowed to compete in foreign festivals.

Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili said Friday that the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance will not exempt the movies bound for foreign screenings from its regulations.

Iranian movies, like music and books, are subject to draconian and lengthy review and censorship procedures by the Islamic government.

“We support any endeavor that contributes to the realization of the ideals of the Islamic Revolution, and there is no support for any production that seeks to be indifferent to the ideals of the Islamic Revolution,” he said. In an attempt to appear less authoritarian, he clarified, "This should not be construed as a crackdown on the intellectual sphere of the country."

Earlier in the week, Esmaili also said that promotion of music and musical works is not on the agenda of the Islamic Republic.

The culture minister also dismissed the notion that Iranians have become less religious over time, claiming that based on the latest survey conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Iran has demonstrated a significantly stronger adherence to religious norms this year compared to the pre-revolution era, when religious practice was free and not mandated by the ruling authority.

The Fajr Film Festival, once the Islamic Republic's most prominent annual cultural events, caused embarrassment for the regime this year. Iran's best-known filmmakers refused to attend the gala and critics criticized the organizers for their poor programming. The festival has become a political tool in the hands of hardliners to punish independent filmmakers and promote their loyalists.

Late in January, prominent Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi said he will not produce any films in Iran until the ban on showing women without headscarves is lifted, as people demand.