The secretary of the 1st Aras National Photo Festival announced the enrollment of 523 photographers from 30 provinces.
According to Aras Free Zone Public Relations and International Affairs, Nassiri said: "The call for the 1st national photo festival of Aras was met with an unprecedented welcoming of artists of the country and with the expiration of the online registration deadline, 523 people were registered from 30 provinces of the country.
He emphasized: the presence of photographers from all over Iran, of all ages, has given the festival a wide variety and a range of photo activists from 16 to 64 years made online registration to participate in the festival.
“The final review of the registrants will be completed within the next 5 days and the artists will be announced on 25 October. Nassiri said, referring to the festival's timetable.”
He thanked the Iranian artistic community for trusting the Aras Free Zone and added: Among the artists who signed up for the festival, 40 photographers were nominated by the selection committee after their professional activity résumés had been investigated and Aras Free Zone will host them as photographers during the festival.
Stating the possibility of other registrants in the competitive sections of the festival, Aras Free Zone’s director of arts and culture said other people who were not registered and not selected by the selection board can freely attend the festival.
The secretary of the 1st Aras National Photo Festival emphasized that the festival will be held in person during 3 days and noted that the photographers present at the festival will compete on November 6-8 of this year for photography in various locations of Aras Free Zone including natural attractions, historic and industrial sites.
Nassiri added that fourty selected photographers will be accepted on November 14th and photographers interested in attending the event will have to be present at Aras Free Zone on November 13th.
“Photographers participating in the Aras National Photo Festival will be judged on November 18 and on November 19, 98 with the closing ceremony, the best works will be announced,” he said

The second round of the Aras National Photo Festival is scheduled for September 99 in summer.