From the trials and tribulations of a dysfunctional middle-class family to a portrait of late-night theater and performance arts in Tehran, Iranian cinema captures a wide variety of themes.

Many of these can be seen at the 16th annual Celebration of Iranian Cinema, which begins at the James Bridges Theater tonight and is presented by the UCLA Film & Television Archive. The film series consists of seven narrative features and one short and runs through Feb. 11. This year, the diversity of themes provides audiences with an eclectic taste of Iranian film.

“Our series is always based on what is happening in Iranian cinema that year,” said series programmer Mimi Brody. “In the past, it has focused on youth, urban living, or showcased female directors, but this year there is not necessarily a concurrent theme. The films are very diverse in style and subject matter this year. There is something for everyone.”

The film to open the series tonight is “Iron Island,” which centers on impoverished families living together on an abandoned ship in the Persian Gulf. The film illustrates how a society can be created even within such a confined environment, and still makes time for a love story to evolve as well.

“‘Iron Island’ is one of the strongest films to come out of Iran this year,” Brody said. “It is beautifully crafted and acted with excellent cinematography. This particular film will get a wide release and has a U.S. distributor. One of the stand-out films from Iran this year in my opinion.”

The Iranian government has recently made news with its stance against Western popular culture, which has placed the country’s filmmakers in a unique position between two spheres of influence. Niki Karimi, one of Iran’s most famous actresses, makes her directorial debut with “One Night.” The film will screen Feb. 3 and Feb. 5 at the James Bridges Theater, but may not screen at all in Iran. The film follows the journey of a young girl through Tehran, and exposes “a crisis of Iranian sexual mores” in the nightlife of this major city, according to the movie’s Web site.

“Because the president banned Western films late last year and recently banned Western music, ‘One Night’ probably won’t be released theatrically in Iran because of its controversial subject matter,” Brody said. “It has been screened internationally at a variety of film festivals, but I doubt it will receive wide release in Iran.”

Even with the bans passed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, directors can continue to make films currently without severe censorship, though the future remains uncertain.

“I think the bans will impact Iranian filmmaking and what films are actually released, but it is too early to say,” Brody said. “I hope that it doesn’t, but we’ll have to see what happens. It is a possibility that he may shut down production entirely if the subject matter of a particular film is too controversial, especially because this new president specifically objects to films that promote secularism and feminism, so it is troubling.”

The series does expect a large Iranian audience in attendance, but its fan base has expanded over the years, creating a diverse group of film-watchers.

“There is such a large community of Iranians in Los Angeles, especially in Westwood, and the festival is popular with them because it allows them to see so many films that will not be released theatrically,” Brody said. “But we are proud of the fact that we have built a crossover audience with movie-lovers that are not Iranian but want to see movies they won’t normally get to see. We have an eager audience for this festival, so we want to serve them.”