Oliver Stone in Iran for movie festival

American movie director Oliver Stone was in Iran on Monday attending an international film festival.

Stone hosted a workshop for filmmakers during the Fajr Film Festival and planned to hold a news conference on Wednesday, Iranian media reported. French actor Jean-Pierre Liaud and Italian producer Giovanni Spagnoletti are also attending the festival.

The semi-official Tasnim news agency said Stone briefly visited the historical city of Isfahan the previous day.

This is the Hollywood director’s first visit to Iran.

In 2007, Iran’s then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rejected a proposal by Stone to make a film about him. Ahmadinejad said at the time that Stone is part the “Great Satan” cultural establishment, a reference to the United States.

In 2012, Stone’s son Sean Stone visited Iran and converted to Shiite Islam.