A Tribute to Ebrahim Golestan

Brick and Mirror

Director: Ebrahim Golestan, 1965, Iran, 133 minutes, Cast: Taji Ahmadi, Zackaria Hashemi, Parviz Fanizadeh, Manuchehr Farid, Mohamad Ali Keshavarz, Jamshid Mashayekhi, Akbar Meshkin, Jalal Moghadam

[Saturday, September 10 @ 1:10 PM]

::

THE BRICK AND THE MIRROR is as fabled for its significant thematic and technical breakthroughs. Moody realism conveys a stark poetry in this tale of a cab driver stuck with an abandoned baby in his back seat. Moral quandaries and social fears vie with eroticism when the driver and a lonely woman spend the night with the baby as the phantom facsimile of a family. The film’s finale, set in an orphanage, is a stunning, haunting piece of social realism that was to send ripples of influence through the next four decades of Iranian cinema.

Zurkhaneh – The House of Strength

Director: Federico Spinetti [In Person], 2010, Italy/Canada, 105 minutes, Music: Giuliano Belotti, Ali Reza Hojjati, Jamshid Tabardaran, Mehregan Gerami Haqiqi, Mohammad Aramesh

[Sunday, September 11 @ 6:46 PM]



Zurkhaneh – The House of Strength is a feature documentary about the traditional gymnasia where a unique form of Iranian martial arts is practiced to the accompaniment of drumming, sung poetry and expressions of Shi’a devotion. Based on extensive ethnographic research, the film journeys from the Iranian diaspora in Canada, across urban Iran, to the first international Zurkhaneh Olympic tournament in South Korea in 2008. Music and martial arts performances are woven into encounters with vivid human experiences as athletes, musicians and experts reveal a variety of subjectivities, perceptions and struggles within the religious, ethical and social world of Zurkhaneh. What emerges is the integration, but also the tensions, between the ethical and competitive aspects of Iranian martial arts, between Sufi-inspired mysticism and the religiously-inflected nationalism of post-revolutionary Iran, between grassroots community engagement and Olympic aspirations.


Federico Spinetti



Federico Spinetti - a native of Bergamo, Italy - is currently Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Alberta, Canada. He has travelled extensively in Central Asia and Iran conducting ethnographic research on the musical cultures of Persian-speaking people. His academic publications have focused on the anthropology and political economy of music, particularly in Central Asia, and on musical relations across the Mediterranean. An active ethnographic filmmaker, he has completed three short documentaries and a documentary feature film.

Filmography: 2010 Zurkhaneh – The House of Strength, 2005 Wedding, 2004 Dushanbe, 2004 South



Ardavan Mofod

There will be a live demonstration by the stage actor Ardavan Mofod, an expert on the art of Siahbazzi and Naghali after the screening of Zurkhaneh.
Ardavan Mofid was born to a traditional theatrical family. His father was the first to utilize traditional storytelling (Naghali) in a theatrical presentation with his founding adaptation of Shahnameh. His older brother, Bijan Mofid, was the founder of the contemporary folklore theatre ‘Novin’ that produced and performed the famous Shahr-e ghesseh, a form of traditional theatre using animal fables and fairy tales. Ardavan Mofid is an entertainer with over 40 years of writing, directing and acting experience from theatre, television and radio productions. At the present time, Ardavan performs many adaptations of traditional storytelling accompanied by musical performances. He tours nationwide and internationally performing the epic history of Iran - the Shahnameh.

About Nice After

An Exclusive Screening

Directors: Costa-Gavras, Abbas Kiarostami, Parviz Kimiavi, Catherine Breillat,Claire Denis, Raymond Depardon, Pavel Lungin, Raoul Ruiz, France, 100 minutes, Cast: Bernard Benassayag, Thierry Saïd Bouibil, Jérôme Chabreyrie, Grégoire Colin, Laura del Sol,  Arielle Dombasle
 
[Sunday, September 11 @ 10 PM]



This French anthology is a tribute to a classic documentary, A Propos de Nice, that took a poetic and sometimes satirical look at life in the French Riviera town. This version blends fact and fiction to chronicle life in modern-day Nice and is comprised of seven vignettes, each directed by an internationally renowned filmmaker. Only one of the episodes, "Reperages," from Iranian directors Abbas_Kiarostami and Parviz_Kimiavi, stays close to the style of the original film by Jean Vigo as it chronicles the experiences of a filmmaker who came to Nice to do research on Vigo for his upcoming documentar
 

Photos: Abbas Kiarostami, Costa-Gavras, Parviz Kimiavi

Iran (1971)

Special Screening

Director: Claude LeLouch, 1971, France/Iran, 19 minutes, Music: Francis Lai

[Screening with: About Nice, Sunday, September 11 @ 10 PM]



Far more than a travelogue with pretty pictures, this little-known film won six international awards shortly after its release. 'Iran' consists of spectacular geographical and archaeological footage interspersed with "slice of life" shots, evidencing best juxtapositional editing we've ever seen.

This is a buried masterpiece from the director of 'A Man and a Woman', 'Happy New Year', and 'And Now My Love.' Lelouch reportedly shot six miles of footage to make this film, which apparently was sponsored by a multinational petroleum pipeline construction firm.
 
Screening with Permission

Claude Lelouch



Claude Lelouch (born 30 October 1937) is a French film director, writer, cinematographer, actor and producer.  Born in the 9th arrondissement of Paris to a Jewish family of Algerian origin, his father gave him a camera to give him a fresh start after his failure in the baccalaureate. He started his career with reportage - one of the first to film daily life in the U.S.S.R., the camera hidden under his coat as he made his personal journey. He also filmed sporting events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Tour de France. Lelouch is known for making movies based heavily on improvised dialogue. His famous film A Man and a Woman (Un homme et une femme) won the Palme d'Or at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival, as well as two Oscars including Best Foreign Language Film.

He has collaborated on no fewer than 28 occasions with the composer Francis Lai. They scored a great hit with the piece 'chabadabada' for the film A Man and a Woman sung by Nicole Croisille and Pierre Barouh, and more than 300 versions of the song exist.

Flamingo No. 13

Director: Hamid Reza Aligholian [In Person], 2010, Iran, 78 minutes, Cast: Rasoul Younan, Baran Zamani, Saeed Alipour, Abdollah Amir Atashani, Alireza Ghader

[Sunday, September 11 @ 5:45 PM]



Set in a small mountain village in Iran, where the villagers live quietly in the majestic landscape of nature. A man obsessed with illegal flamingo hunting, the woman he loves, and another man who envies their love. The director's first work portrays the allegorical triangular relationship through surreal, beautiful imagery.

Story takes place in a neighborhood of legends in an Exile located in a mountain. One of the exile, Solaiman, who hunts a flamingo is known as a legend in the village who is spending his period of exile. Solaiman is torn between the love for Tamai and the obsession for hunting of flamingos. Even after his marriage with Tamai, he still can't give up the thought of hunting that bird. The obsession eventually leads to his disappearance. People in the village believe Solaiman is dead but Tamai doesn't agree with them.


Hamid Reza Aligholian



Hamid Reza Aligholian (Born first of July in 1980 in Tehran, educated from civil aviation technology university and after that learned cinema directing and non-linear editing , during some film making courses at SOOREH university, and ABBAS KIAROSTAMI workshop.
His first feature film (FLAMINGO NO.13 – 2010) participated in Tokyo international film festival 2010 (competition section). He has made some short films: The Lust, Gray (based on Jacques Pervert Poem), miracle and The Rain.
He has also made some 3D animation for some companies and several advertising teasers, and music videos shown on TV and international satellite channels.

Bonjour Monsieur Ghaffari

Director: Parviz Jahed, 2011, UK, 62 minutes, Cast: Farokh Ghafari, Ebrahim Golestan

[Saturday, September 10 @ 10 PM]



Bounjour Monsieur Ghafari paints a portrait of the life and experiences of Farrokh Ghafari the veteran Iranian film critic, the founder of Iranian Film Archive and one of the forerunners of the Iranian New Wave Cinema in the early 60s.
Ghafari was a familiar figure not only to Iranian cinephiles, but to French film society whether as a film critic writing for the “Positive” film magazine or working with Henri Langlois in running the Cinematheque Francaise in Paris in the early 1950s.
In this film we see Ghafari talking passionately about his first encounters with cinema, his life and his arrival as a stranger in Paris at the age of 11, fascinated by silent films of the time and grow up parallel to the development of cinema in France and around the world, and the events leading to his exile and eventual death away from home all in his own words.

Farrokh Ghafari Filmography:

Director: 1975 The Falconet, 1965 Shabe ghuzi, 1959 Which Is the Bride?, 1958 South of the City [Joonoob e shahr]
 Actor: 1979 O.K. Mister [as William Knox D'arcy], 1971 Samad va fulad zereh div, 1965 Shabe ghuzi
Writer: 1979 O.K. Mister (dialogue), 1975 The Falconet
Self: 2006 Iran: A Cinematographic Revolution (TV documentary), 2004 Henri Langlois: The Phantom of the Cinémathèque (documentary)


Parviz Jahed 
 


Parviz Jahed is a film critic, journalist, filmmaker and lecturer in film studies, scriptwriting and film directing. He is the author of a number of books and essays on Iranian cinema and his critical works on Iranian and world cinema published in various publications and journals in Iran and the UK. Jahed is also a regular contributor to the BBC Persian website and Television as a film critic and reviewer.
Parviz made a number of documentaries and short films. Maria: 24 hour peace picket, his last documentary film and Ta'zieh, Another Narration his long documentary film on a traditional performance and ritual play in Iran have been screened in film festivals, art galleries, universities and on Television in Iran and the UK.

David

Director: Joel Fendelman, 2011, USA, 80 minutes, Cast: Maz Jobrani [In Person], Muatasem Mishal, Binyomin Shtaynberger, Dina Shihabi, Gamze Ceylon, Michael Golden

[Saturday, September 10 @ 7:12]



“David” tells the story of Daud, an eleven year old Muslim boy growing up in Brooklyn. As the son of the Imam of the local mosque, he has to juggle his father’s high expectations, the dynamics of a conservative family, and being different – even from his peers in the Muslim community. Through an innocent act of good faith, Daud inadvertently befriends a group of Jewish boys who mistake him for being Jewish and accept him as one of their own. When the Jewish boys discover that Daud has lied to them, his world is shattered, and he is left alone, struggling to come to terms with his place in the world.
“David” is first and foremost a story of friendship between two boys. It is not a political or religious movie, but, after watching it, these topics will inevitably seep into the conversation. The film questions the boundaries of our cultures and religions, and looks at how static and yet fluid these boundaries can be.


Joel Fendelman



It all started with his trick skates and a video camera. More recently, Joel Fendelman has been in New York producing and directing award winning films. His feature debut documentary “Needle Through Brick” surveys the quickly vanishing art of traditional Kung Fu through the eyes Kung Fu Masters that fled China over the last 100 years. The film, which he shot in Malaysia, won the Silver Palm award from the Mexico International film festival. It is currently attracting interest for distribution in the European Market. In only 5 years, Joel has directed a number of award winning short films that have been accepted and shown at prestigious film festivals, including Cannes, Chicago, Miami, Woodstock and IDFA. Joel won the Chipotle Commercial Competition in 2009 and continues to produce commercial contents. Joel also works as a film editor, editing episodes of Watching the Detectives for the A&E Network, The Artist’s Den for PBS, Total Makeover for Allure and does ongoing portrait profiles for American Express. He holds a BFA in Film and television from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Crossroads of Civilization

An Exclusive Screening ~ Not Seen Over 35 Years

Producer: David Frost, Director: Anthony Mayer, 1976, UK/Iran, 104 minutes, Music: Ahmad Pezhman [In Person]

[Sunday, September 11 @ 3:30 PM]

 

The Crossroads of Civilization is an eight-part history of the Ancient Persia which dramatized battles and sieges on a Hollywood scale, but carried out on the remote original locations. This was a project that needed panache as well as creativity.
 
Iranian Film Festival - San Francisco is proud to have discovered and will show this jewel, which was made in Iran with a budget of 2.5 million dollars in 1976 by Sir David Frost. It will have its world premiere after 35 years to give a sense of Persian history and a unique opportunity to see this lost and forgotten documentary for the first time. 

We thank Sir David Frost for the opportunity to show this rare documentary at the 4th Annual Iranian Film Festival - San Francisco.


Sir David Frost



Born in Tenderden, Kent, Englan, 7 April 1939. Attended Gillingham Grammar School; Wellington Grammar School; Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, M.A. Married 1) Lynne Frederick in 1981 (divorced 1982); 2) Carina Fitzalan-Howard in 1983; children: Miles, Wilfred and George. Served as presenter of Rediffusion specials, 1961; established name as host of That Was the Week That Was, 1962-63; later gained reputation as an aggressive interviewer on The Frost Programme and other shows; co-founder, London Weekend Television; chair, David Paradine group of companies , since 1966; served on British/U.S. Bicentennial Liaison Committee, 1973-76, and has hosted shows on both sides of the Atlantic; interviewed Richard Nixon for television, 1976; helped launch TV-am commercial breakfast television company, 1982. LLD, Emerson College, Boston, Massachusetts. President, Lord's Taverners, 1985, 1986. Order of the British Empire, 1970; knighted, 1993. Recipient: Golden Rose of Montreux (twice); Royal Television Society Silver Medal, 1967; Richard Dimbleby Award, 1967; Emmy Awards, 1970, 1971; Guild of Television Producers Award, 1971; TV Personality of the Year, 1971; Religious Heritage of America Award, 1971; Albert Einstein Award, 1971.  In 2005, he was awarded the BAFTA Fellowship, their highest honor. And in 2009 in New York he received the International Emmy Founders Award, which is their highest honor. Sir David Frost’s activities during his career have been so diverse that he has been described as a “one man conglomerate”.  It is easy to see why: host and co-creator of That Was the Week That Was, producer of countless television programs from A Gift of Song: The Music for UNICEF Concert to the Spectacular World of Guinness Records; author of 17 books; producer of eight films (including “Rogue Trader” with Ewan McGregor and Anna Friel); publisher, lecturer, impresario and the joint founder of London Weekend Television and TV-am.  Not to mention the fact that he is perhaps the best known television interviewer in the world.  Sir David’s regular current affairs series on Al Jazeera English “Frost Over The World” is now in its fifth year, having already completed more than 150 weekly editions.
 

The Wind Is Blowing On My Street

Director: Saba Riazi [In Person], 2010, Iran/US, 15 minutes, Cast: Rahman Houshyar, Music: Mohsen Namjoo

[Screening with: The Other, Saturday, September 10 @ 3:40] 



A young girl in Tehran gets left on the street with no head scarf and must interact with a neighbor in an environment where her mishap equals trouble.

Festivals: 2011 Sundance


Saba Riazi



Born in Iran in 1982, she was raised in Tehran. She pursued her education in Theater Directing in Art university of Tehran, and at the same time she made short films and started working professionally as assistant editor for feature films in There. She won the award of UNESCO ASHBERG BURSARIES FOR YOUNG ARTISTS and a residency for 6 months in Marseille for Media Arts in 2004. Saba got in to very competitive Film and TV production program at New York University (Tisch) for her MFA in 2008 and has been making films ever since with her fellow classmates from all around the world.

The Accordion

Director: Jafar Panahi, Iran/France/Brazil/Italy/Switzerland, 2010, 9 minutes

[Screening with: Bonjour Monsieur Ghaffari, Saturday, September 10 @ 10 PM]



This film shot in Tehran, recounts the adventures of two young street musicians who play the accordion and tablas in order to earn their living. Two young street musicians in Tehran, a boy and a girl, have their accordion confiscated as the result of an incident while playing next to a mosque.

“The Accordion is the story of humankind’s materialistic need to survive in a pretentious religion. In it, a boy is prevented from playing for reasons of religious prohibition, which he accepts in order to survive. But the main character of the film is the girl or, perhaps, in my view, the symbol of the next generation. In her ideal world she realizes man’s need for survival and decides to avoid the violence and share her small income with someone else who is also in need.” -- Jafar Panahi


Jafar Panahi



Jafar Panahi, born 11 July 1960, in Mianeh, Iran, is one of the most celebrated Iranian and international artists compresses his storytelling and reflections in a short film that not only captures Tehran today, but also serves as a metaphor on violence, tolerance and hope. It was, in fact, Jafar Pahani’s vitality and courage here that sparked our passions most. However, the director would not have conceived this splendid “short story” were it not for backing from the wonderful utopia that is the omnibus film Then and Now, dedicated to overcoming barriers and differences and produced by Art for the World with support from the United Nations.

Selected Filmography:

1.    This is Not a Film – In Film Nist (2011)
2.    The Accordion (2010)
3.    Offside (2006)
4.    Crimson Gold - Talaye sorkh (2003)
5.    The Circle - Dayereh (2000)
6.    The Mirror - Ayneh (1997)
7.    Ardekoul (1997)
8.    The White Balloon - Badkonake sefid (1995)
9.    Friend - Doust (1992)
10.    The Last Exam - Akharin Emtehan (1992)
11.    Kish (1991)
12.    The Wounded Heads - Yarali bashlar (1988)

The Other

Director: Mehdi Rahmani, 2010, Iran, 84 minutes, Cast: Mohammad Reza Foroutan, Merila Zaraie, Milad Moradi Nasab, Mehran Rajabi, Mohammad Ali Miandar, Sirous Hemmati

[Saturday, September 10 @ 3:40 PM]



A young boy is forced to go on a trip to the capital city, Tehran, with his soon to be step-father. Their relationship dramatically changes during their inevitable trip. The Other is a beautiful coming of age story that follows this little boy with his potential step-father as they embark on a forced trip to sell a van. Their journey takes them to various cities and villages as they learn about each other and eventually create a strong father - son bond.

The Other is a conventional road movie with an odd couple in the front seats. As the story progresses these two come to see each other in a different light and successfully bond. In this case the point of connection between the boy and the man is the frustration they both carry inside them of not possessing any control over their own lives. To live in a society that requires little boys to act as men and shoulder the weight of entire households while at same time having all the important decisions taken over their heads. This and the memory of the father bring the characters closer and set them against a common adversary, the boy’s older uncle who has chosen another man for his mother to marry.


Mehdi Rahmani



Born in 1979 in Esfahan, Iran, graduated in film making from I.R.I.B. University in 2005; member of Iranian young cinema society; member of Iranian photographer's society; member of Iranian documentary filmmakers' society; member of European documentary filmmakers' society; jury of Children and Young People International Film festival in Esfahan; the head of students juries at 10th Tehran International Short Film Festival (2005).

Filmography: 2010 - The Other (Digari) is his first feature film, and winner of the Best Children's Feature Film award in the 2010 edition of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Short Films: The Boys of Autumn / The Bridge's Ballads / The Moonlight Prayer / Smell of Tresses / Border Zone

Original ‘Certified Copy’

Director: Hamideh Razavi, 2011, Iran, 32 minutes, Cast: Abbas Kiarostami, Juliette Binoche, William Shimell

[Screening with: Bonjour Monsieur Ghaffari, Saturday, September 10 @ 10 PM]



A look at the team working from behind the scenes of Abbas Kiarostami’s “Certified Copy”

Hamieh Razavi



Hamieh Razavi began film making by attending Abbas Kiarostami’s workshops and has made several short films since. She recently made “Taste of Shirin” which is a short documentary about the making of Kiarostami’s Shirin.

Filmography: Carpet to Celestial Heavens 2008 [IFF 2010], Taste of Shirin 2008, Capricious woman 2009, Flare 2010, Camera Lucida 2010, The wind blows you away 2010 [IFF 2010], 50%  Sale 2011, Classified 2011, Original Certified Copy 2011

My Iranian Paradise

Directors: Annette Mari Olsen & Katia Forbert Petersen, Denmark, 2009, 78 minutes

[Sunday, September 11 @ 1:15 PM]



One of the directors of this film [Annette Mari Olsen] was raised in Iran. Her father was a Danish engineer and her mother a survivor from one of Stalin’s Gulag camps. In this film, the life of a family is reflected in the history of Iran from the 30s and onward to the Islamic Revolution, until oil began tearing the world apart. The film differentiates perceptions of enemy images and political generalizations. With the eyes of ordinary people we experience how any given person’s fate can change from one day to the next, when politics and leaderships change. Through an understanding of its past, contemporary Iran is uncovered.


Annette Mari Olsen & Katia Forbert Petersen



Annette Mari Olsen: Born in Denmark, grew up in Iran and England. Film director, Master of Arts from the Polish Film School, Lodz, 1973. Until 1977: worked as film director in Poland. Resident in Denmark since then. Taught at the National Film School of Denmark, 1983-84. Internationally taught direction to master classes for professional documentary filmmakers. Media consultant for Danish Refugee Council, 1986-88. Several periods as an interpreter of English, Farsi (Persian), Polish, French, and Danish, work which provided the basis for a range of award-winning films about ethnic minorities in Denmark. Establish Sfinx Film/TV in 1988 together with partner and cinematographer Katia Forbert Petersen.

Katia Forbert Petersen:  Cinematographer. Polish born. Resident in Denmark since 1969. She has shot some 150 films, including a number of features. She has worked as a camerawoman for ZDF and the Canadian Film Board. Danish Cinematographers Association's Annual Award 1992. Special Prize - Best Photography at the ITVA festival in Copenhagen in 1997 and 1999. International award for best photography at the ITVA festival in New Orleans, USA 1998. Danish Film Academy Award "Robert" for co-direction of Best Short Documentary of the year 2007.

I Was Worth 50 Sheep

Director: Nima Sarvestani, 2010, Sweden/Afghanistan/Iran, 72 minutes
 
[Saturday, September 10 @ 11 AM]



“I Was Worth 50 Sheep” is the story of a brave girl, Sabere, and her struggle for life. Through the prism of her family this heart-rending and thought-provoking film brings the tragedy that is Afghanistan vividly to life. Sabere, has a price on her head. When she was just ten years old she was sold to a man forty years her senior. After seven years of confinement and abuse she escaped to find temporary refuge in a women’s sanctuary. Now she again has a price on her head as her husband will kill her on sight. The camera picks up Sabere at the point where she has re-made contact with her family. She faces the decision of whether to stay in the safety of the sanctuary or whether to rejoin her family. They try to mount a “sting” that would simultaneously capture her husband and free Sabere from his clutches. But for it to work, Sabere will have to meet her husband. And all the while the family dreads receiving the telephone calls that will seal the fate of Sabere’s ten-year-old sister.

“I Was Worth 50 Sheep” is a moving story of one family’s struggle to survive. “I Was Worth 50 Sheep” was filmed over a period of two years in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan, by award-winning Iranian director Nima Sarvestani.

Festivals: 2011 Gothenburg International Film Festival


Nima Sarvestani



Nima Sarvestani started his career as a journalist in Iran and has been concentrating on documentary filmmaking since moving to Sweden in 1984. Focusing on social and political issues, he is inspired by those who fight passionately for their cause. He has directed “Dead Man’s Guest” (2003), “Naked and Wind” (2002), “Many Years Later” (1999) and “The Evil Cycle” (1998). Iranian Kidney Bargain Sale (2006), “ On the Border of Desperation” (2008) and “I Was Worth 50 Sheep” is his latest production.

A Beautiful Snowy Day

Directors: Mahaya Petrossian & Amir Toodehroosta, 2010, Iran 32 minutes, Cast: Mahaya Petrossian, Atila Pesyani, Sadegh Safaei

[Screening with: My Iranian Paradise, Sunday, September 11 @ 1:15 PM]



This film is about a critical day in a woman and her kid's life, in which she is going to make an important decision
.

Mahaya Petrosian & Amir Toodehroosta



Mahaya Petrosian graduated from Tehran University in performing arts. She is a well known actress in Iran, and has performed in more than 24 films. She has been awarded several times for her performances. She has written a few movie scripts. This is her first directorial debut.
Amir Toodehroosta started his professional work as a director in 1997 and since then has made more than 14 short films and 3 documentaries. His works have been awarded prizes in many international festivals.
Filmography: Match (1998), The hidden corner of life (1999), Incarcerate time (1999), Cinema varite (2000), Hi Mr. Evil (2000), Red (2001), Holy Wednesday (2002), Chocolate Burglar (2003), Shiva (2004), The shining (2005), Black, White (2006), Radiography of a portrait (2009), A beautiful snowy day (2010).

Delete

Director: Kazem Mollaie, 2011, Iran, 11 minutes, Cast: Mohamad Abbasi

[Screening with: Bonjour Monsieur Ghaffari, Saturday, September 10 @ 10 PM]



A man is doing an experiment on deleting his life.


Kazem Mollaie



Kazem Mollaie: Born in 1981 in Sabzevar – Iran. Member of the “Iranian Young Cinema Society” - 1998. Start film making with a short film named “From game to ... " 1999. A bachelor graduate in the field of Cinema Directing from the university of " Sooreh Tehran " – 2005. Member of "Iranian Short Film Association" - Khane Cinema – 2009.
 
Filmography:

1) From game to…/2000/short film/14 min 2) Tel/2000/short film/20 min 3) The wind is blowing in the Alley/2002/Fiction/40 min 4) Akbar,For God Sake, don't die before me!/2003/Fiction/38 min 5) Carmen Funebre /2005/Short-documentary/21 min 6) Please stay away from the red line/2008/Short Film/30 min 7) Minus/2009/Short Film/23 min [Iranian Film Festival, 2010] 8) Delete/2011/Short Film/11min

Plastic Bag

Director: Ramin Bahrani, USA, 2009, 18 minutes, Voice: Werner Herzog

[As part of the Short Program, Sunday, September 11 @ 11 AM]



In a not too distant future, a Plastic Bag goes on an epic journey in search of its lost Maker, wondering if there is any point to life without her. The Bag encounters strange creatures, brief love in the sky, a colony of prophetic torn bags on a fence and the unknown. To be with its own kind, the Bag goes deep under the oceans into 500 nautical miles of spinning garbage known as the North Pacific Trash Vortex. Will our Plastic Bag be able to forget its Maker there?

Festivals: Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, New York Film Festival


Ramin Bahrani



Ramin Bahrani was born March 20, 1975 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to Iranian parents. He received his BA from Columbia University in New York City. His first feature film, Man Push Cart (2005), premiered at the Venice Film Festival (2005) and screened at the Sundance Film Festival (2006). The film won over 10 international prizes, was released theatrically around the world, and was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards. Bahrani’s second film Chop Shop (2007) premiered at the 2007 Director’s Fortnight of the Cannes International Film Festival, and then screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (2007) and the Berlin International Film Festival (2008) before being released theatrically to wide and universal critical acclaim. Bahrani was awarded the prestigious 2007 Someone to Watch Independent Spirit Award. In 2008, he was nominated for Best Director Independent Spirit Award. Ramin’s third film Goodbye Solo was premiered at the Tiburon International Film Festival.

The Other Side

Director: Esmaeel Monsef, 2010, Iran, 19 minutes, Cast: Naser Ja'fari, Reza Eesapoor, Zhila Shahi

[As part of the Short Program, Sunday, September 11 @ 11:00 AM]



The letters a young girl receives from her fiancé living on the other side of the border, until we find out that he is not the one who is sending the letters.


Esmaeel Monsef



Born in 1976 inIran. Graduate of Behandish Cinema School - Iran. Member of the Iranian Alliance Motion Picture Guilds-Khane Cinema
Member of Iranian Short Film association. Founding member of Independent movie makers association of Iran(N.G.O) (1999-2005). Editing of more than 30 short films, documentaries and features: Where is the Leyli? (by:Mohamad Shirvani), Dreams Garden (by:Jamshid Bayrami), Royahaye dame sobh (by:Mehrdad Oskouee) and...

Filmography: OYAN-2010 (received the best short film of 58th Trento international film festival – 2010). Official Selection of Tiburon International Film Festival

Bani Adam (Human Beings)

Director: Noureddin ZarrinKelk, 2011, Iran, Animation, 10 minutes

[Screening with: My Iranian Paradise, Sunday, September 11 @ 1:15 PM]



The need for global peace and understanding, this film brings together world leaders to recite a poem by 13th-century Persian poet Sa’adi about our common humanity.


Noureddin ZarrinKelk



Noureddin ZarrinKelk was born into a family of traditional Persian painters and calligraphers. In fact his last name means “Golden Pen” in Persian. But Noureddin, affectionately called Noori, also had a daring eye for adapting modern subjects, and perhaps it was also his fate to reimagine this 13th-century art form in a new light, as Noor means “light.”

He started his career at 16, drawing caricatures for Iranian magazines. After earning a Ph.D. in pharmacology, he worked as an illustrator trying to change the long-held tradition of imageless textbooks in Iran. While working at Iran’s Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, Noori saw how animated film can engage young audiences. He went to Belgium to study animation with Raoul Servais and was soon making films for children. He has since advanced Iranian animation almost singlehandedly by founding the country’s first animation school in 1974 and Iran’s branch of the International Animated Film Society in 1987.
Noori possesses a special humor which exists in all of his work. In The Mad, Mad, Mad World (1975), he portrays each continent on the globe transforming into a variety of animals barking or squawking at neighboring countries. But Noori is hesitant to speak about Iranian politics. Instead he works to encode profound political and social messages in his films, while sharing the culture and history of his country with a worldwide audience. His films express the need for global peace and understanding. In his latest film, Bani Adam (2011), he brings together world leaders to recite a poem by 13th-century Persian poet Sa’adi about our common humanity.

Throughout his career, Noureddin ZarrinKelk has helped to find a distinct place for animation and graphic art in the broad field of painting. And Iranian artists are increasingly recognized and received with great respect worldwide, in large part because of Nouredddin’s persistence and hard work. His creativity in animation and graphics is interwoven with powerful peculiarities of Iranian art and soul, making him one of the most renowned representatives of his country. At the same time, his art, with universal values, designates him as an artist of the world.

“1 in 10” Music Video

Director: Cameron Rafati, 2010, USA, 4 minutes

[As aprt of the Musical Films, Saturday, September 10 @ 5:50 PM]



Cameron Rafati: American singer and songwriter began his musical journey at the age of thirteen years old when he picked up his uncle’s dusty guitar. Realizing that his passion existed within the realm of song playing, Rafati formed a band for the 7th grade talent show. His efforts to rock the school auditorium with fellow junior high band mates resulted in the rejection of his peers and the eventual pressure to become an athlete due to his 6’6″ stature. After high school, Rafati moved to Los Angeles and began attending the University of Southern California, where he formed a band called Vertices, a group that ultimately broke up after a three-year stint. Following the breakup, Rafati once again felt that he needed to be realistic about his life goals and moved to Texas where he put on wranglers, cowboy boots, and entered into the world of door-to-door sales in small central Texas towns. Tired of trying to reinvent the wheel in the corporate world, Cameron decided to re-connect with his true identity as a songwriter and performer.

Now with an ever-growing fan base building upon strong momentum online and press outlets worldwide, it is apparent that Cameron Rafati is on his way to becoming one of the best independent and savvy artists emerging in the industry.    

Transformation

Director: Vahid Vahed, 2011, Australia/Iran, 18 minutes

[As part of the Short Program, Sunday, September 11 @ 11 AM]



This is a story about a young person who lived the first 18 years of his life with a wrong identity. At birth, he was mistaken as a girl because of not having male genital. When he turns 18 years of age, he realizes his true gender and undergoes sex change operation in Tehran Iran.


Vahid Vahed



Vahid Vahed was born in Tehran, Iran in 1959. He attended high school and later university in England during 1975-81. He studied civil engineering and communications, majoring in photography and film studies. Vahid lived and worked as an editor and a photographer in Germany for three years before immigrating to Australia in 1984. Vahid has worked as a journalist, University lecturer, film and television producer/director, curator and video artist since he arrived in Australia as well as completing an Associate Diploma, Charles Sturt University (Television and Sound Production), Bachelor of Fine Arts, College Of Fine Arts UNSW (Sound, Performance and Installation) Master of Art, College Of Fine Arts UNSW (Time Based Art). During 1998-2003, he was employed by the NSW Ministry for the Arts as a Multicultural Arts Officer and has been the Artistic Director and Founder of Auburn International Film and Video Festival for Children and Young Adults (est. 1998) and CINEWEST (est. 1999). In 2002, Vahid was elected as the Vice President of CIFEJ (International Centre of Films for Children and Young People), an international organization conceived and established by UNESCO and UNICEF in 1955. Vahid was awarded a two years fellowship from Australia Council for the Arts for researching, initiating and developing community cultural development practices and screen culture activities locally, regionally, nationally and internationally during 2003-2005. Vahid is currently completing his MFA at College of Fine Arts UNSW in Digital Media and 'Transformation' is part of his research project.

Filmography: TRANSFORMATION \ Documentary \ 18' \ AUSTRALIA \ 2011, MOHAJER ‘THE IMMIGRANT’ \ Documentary \ 24' \ AUSTRALIA \ 2006, EMHA 'DISAPPEARANCE' \ Fiction \ 5' \ AUSTRALIA \ 2006, AQUARIUM \ Fiction \ 13' \ AUSTRALIA \ 2001

The Road is Closed

Director: Vahid Hajiooi, 2011, Iran, 23 minutes, Cast: Ali Niksolat, Jafar Ganj Khanloo, Ramezan Rezaei, Amir Arsalan Mohamadi

[Screening with: Flamingo No. 13, Sunday, September 11 @ 5:45 PM]



Four middle-aged men try to deliver a pulpit for a rural mountainous village. Despite the fact that the toll officer warns them that the road is closed due to the ice and snow but they pay no attention. They enter the mountainous road and get caught in cold and snow blizzard.  When they make a crucial decision to burn the pulpit to get warm, something happens…


Vahid Hajiooi



Vahid Hajiooi was born in 1985 in Hamedan, Iran. Started making films in 2003; beside filmmaking assisted directors such as Bahman Ghobadi on different movie projects. Made his first short film in 2005 called Always takes place simply which won some awards in national festivals. His second movie made in 2007 called Shot was only 100 seconds. His third movie made in 2008 was Symphony of the Night [30 minutes] which won multiple awards in different national and international festivals.
His latest and fourth film made in 2011 is The Road is Closed.

The Scorpio

Directors: Faride Saremi & Omid Hashemlu, 2010, Iran, 40 minutes, Cast: Bahram Amin Salmasi, Baram Saidi, Eini Keivanshokooh, Eric Arconte , Andranik Asatourian

[As aprt of the Musical Films, Saturday, September 10 @ 5:50 PM]



In 1971 three young musicians set out to perform the euphoric rock’n roll and Latin hits of their time on the stages of Tehran. Bahram Amin Salmasi (bass guitar), Baram Saidi (guitar) and Eini Keivanshokooh (drums), along with Eric Arconte (percussions) and Andranik Asatourian (piano) formed the band ‘Scorpio’. Through their covers, they soon became very popular amongst enthusiasts of popular western music. They covered almost every big rock hit and brought them live to their fans in the nightclubs and discos of Tehran.

Forty years later, their memories give us a taste of the early days of the rock music movement in Iran.


Faride Saremi &Omid Hashemlu



Faride Saremi was born in 1981, Tehran. Faride has an MA, in Cinema from Tehran University and a BA in Film Making from Art University. She has directed several short films. "The Scorpio" is her first experience in making documentaries.
Omid Hashemlu was born in 1980, Tehran, Omid Hashemlu graduated in Industrial Design from the College of  Architecture and Arts. He started his career by editing short films and  making commercials.

Vapor

Director: Kaveh Nabatiam, Canada, 2010, 11 minutes, Cast: Marco Ledezma, Evergon, Miguel Anguiano

[As part of the Short Program, Sunday, September 11 @ 11 AM]



The fractured portrait of a shattered psyche, Vapor is a heartening story of self-affirmation. A Mexican man begins to understand his life when he is able to confront his own deep-seated prejudices. Lyrical and stirring, the film embarks on a graceful exploration of individuality in which acceptance is the key to transcendence.

Official Festival Screenings: Toronto Int’l Film Festival, Festival du nouveau cinéma (Montréal), Seattle Int’l Film Festival, Cannes Short Film Corner (Crazy Canucks screening), Cinéma du Québec à Paris (Soirée d’ouverture), Court-circuit (Montréal), Glasgow Film Festival, Clermont-Ferrand (SODEC screening), Canada’s Top Ten (Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver).


Kaveh Nabatian



Kaveh is an award-winning filmmaker and musician from Montreal. His work confronts the gap between the two arts: creating films that have the intuitive and immediate feel of music, and creating music that has the evocative energy of film. He has directed both fiction and documentary films, music videos, and television series. His films have played at over thirty international festivals, from which he has won multiple awards. He has shot in such diverse locations as Mexico, South Africa, Honduras, France, Nunavut, China, and French Guyana. His first feature film “Ricochet” is currently in development. Kaveh has degrees in both Film Production and Jazz Studies from Concordia University.  Much of his time as a musician is dedicated to Bell Orchestre, an avant-chamber ensemble in which he plays trumpet, keyboards, and an array of analog and electronic instruments. In recent years, Bell Orchestre has released two critically-acclaimed albums, won a Juno award, toured Europe and North America extensively, collaborated with the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra and LaLaLa Human Steps, and done a composition residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts. Kaveh also plays with Little Scream and composes music for films (including his own), orchestra, dance, and theatre.

The Lanes [Kucheha]

Director: Yalda Sarhaddi, 2010, Iran, 11 minutes, Cast: Yalda Sarhadi-Malek Zamani-Kambiz Layegh-Sahand Sarhadi

[Screening with: David, Saturday, September 10 @ 7:12 PM]



A young woman searches for a musician busking on the street. Drawn by the intriguing sound of an accordion, her brief walk through the neighborhood has a soothing effect on her mood... A modern take on Greek mythology set in the streets of Tehran.

Yalda Sarhaddi



M.A in film; faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran. Thesis: Research on the concept of odyssey travel in cinema on the basis of two films: Straight Story by David Lynch and Solaris by Andrei Tarkovski. B.A in Graphic Design, University of Art Tehran; 2004-2009 Art Director of 4 short films; 2001 Designing posters, book and magazine covers; 2007 Managing an advertising agency

Filmmography: 2008 - The Tale of a… (Documentary), 2009 - Grandmother (production), 2010 - The Alleys (short film),

Ask the Wind

Director: Batin Ghobadi, Iran, 2010, 13 minutes, Cast: Nasrin Shojaei, Zahra Mirdad, Samad Farhang, Aghdas Kaji

[Screening with: The Other, Saturday, September 10 @ 3:40] 



A group of female art students pay a visit to a village in order to take photographs. A gust of wind blows one of the student's veils and carries it away. The girl hurries off after her veil and is not far away from the village when she comes across a dead man.

Winner of Crystal Bear at Berlinale for Best Short Film


Batin Ghobadi 


 
Born in Baneh, Iran in1979. An exhibition of his drawings and paintings was mounted in Sanandaj while he was still a schoolboy. After finishing school he took up studies at Technical College.

Filmography: 2000 THE PAINTER, 2002 SURELY TODAY, 2003 INCOMMUNICADO, 2004 BROKEN SOLDIER, 2008 READY FOR DEATH, 2010 ASK THE WIND


Féminin, Masculin (Feminine, Masculine)

Director: Sadaf Foroughi, Iran 2007, 9 minutes, Cast: Farahnaz Shiri

[As part of the Short Program, Sunday, September 11 @ 11 AM]

 

In this bus the Iranian world is distorted: women sit at the front, men at the back of the vehicle. A documentary about the first female bus driver of Tehran.
In the male dominated society of Iran, Farahnaz Shiri, the first female bus driver in Tehran, has made her own little society in her bus. In Iran there are different sections for men and women on public buses. Women should enter buses from the back door, which is separated from men’s entrance, and should sit or stay in a limited zone at the end of the buses which is separated from men’s zone. But in Mrs. Shiri’s bus everything is vice-versa. She is the governor and the only law maker of her own little society. In her bus, men must enter from the backdoor entrance and must sit or stay in the limited zone at the end of the bus. Mrs. Shiri is struggling to prove herself in this society and resisting a series of injustices that she faces as a woman in the Iranian society.


Sadaf Foroughi



Sadaf Foroughi was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1976. She graduated with a bachelor degree in French literature and continued her study in master degree in cinema and now she is student on PHD in film philosophy. She joined Iranian Short Film Association (ISFA) in 2004. Till now she has 9 short films in her cinematographic background and has taken a part as an editor in 4 short films. She has some experiences in photography and choreography. Among her recent works is the documentary produced by experimental and documentary film centre of Iran. She also made two video arts produced by New York film Academy in 2008.

Huma, Bird of Fortune

Director: Alireza Rofougran, Iran, 2010, 4 minutes, Cast: Reza Jafari

[Screening with: Flamingo No. 13, Sunday, September 11 @ 5:45 PM]



Legend has it that the symbol of ancient Persia, flew invisibly in the sky, casting its auspicious shadow on the land beneath…


Alireza Rofougaran



Alireza Rofougaran was born in Tehran, Iran; June,1965. He was a businessman until 2004, when he changed careers to make his first film: Chasing Che [IFF 2010], inspired by reading and translating Jon Lee Anderson’s biography: Che Guevara; A Revolutionary life.

He has also taken acting parts in several films, including an interactive video of Anna Gutto’s New York play: “IN SECURITY” April 2009. Alireza Rofougaran currently lives in Tehran, translating books and making documentary films.

What Patience God Has

Director: Daniel Erel, 2011, USA, 7 minutes, Cast: Sattar Sattarpour [In Person]

[As aprt of the Musical Films, Saturday, September 10 @ 5:50 PM]



A review of Sattar’s inner thoughts of God’s patience with mankind.

Daniel Gadi



Gadi splits his time between acting, directing and producing films. He is an alumni of the Beverly Hills Playhouse where he studied under the tutelage of Tony Award nominated director Milton Katselas. Acting credits include Film: Waltz With Bashir, The Joshua Tree, The Chicago 8, Their Finest Hour, Badass, Nuclear, In Another Life, TV: CSI-NY, Dark Blue, The Unit, No Game, Theater: Hat Full of Rain and The Tenth Man. Directing credits include short films The Jack and Mad House Sattars music video "What Patience God Has" Gadi is also developing 2 other films at the moment. As Producer, Gadi for the first time enters the arena of documentary filmmaking with his feature, Last Man Standing. Gadi was born in Israel 1980.

The Ambassador’s Wife

Director: Sara Akhteh, USA, 2008, 17 minutes, Cast: Naz Deravian, Navid Negahban, Andres Londono

[As part of the Short Program, Sunday, September 11 @ 11 AM]



In 1946 the young bride Nazgol relocates with her husband to South America where he has just been appointed the Iranian Ambassador. Plucked from her homeland and disconnected from even the smallest semblance of familiarity, Nazgol discovers that she is able to do things that would once have been forbidden in her homeland. However, her newfound liberation may come at a price.


Sara Akhteh



Sara Akhteh was born in Tehran where her father was an anchorman and Head of the New Sector for Iranian Television; her mother worked in the same field as a Segment Writer and Editor. Sara recently received a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Southern California with an emphasis in Production. Sara Akhteh has received numerous awards as recognition for her films, including the Panavision New Filmmaker Award and the Fotokem Grant. Most recently her Thesis Film, "The Ambassador's Wife", received honors from the ASC in recognition of Best Student Cinematography. Sara has numerous credits in Sound Work, including Foley Recordist and Editor for Jeremy Kagan's "Golda's Balcony," starring Valerie Harper.

Bitter Milk

Director: Nasser Zamiri, Iran/Afghanistan 2010, 29 minutes, Cast: Razieh Ahmadi, Esmail Fathi, Habib Ghorbani, Zahra Mahdavi

[Screening with: I Was Worth 50 Sheep, Saturday, September 10 @ 11 AM]



As a result of the bombarding, many people of the war-torn Afghanistan have gone homeless and are poverty-stricken. In order to earn a living and after many sufferings, Aziz’s family and some other Afghan families are going to Pakistan border with their friends to…

Nasser Zamiri



Nasser Zamiri was born in 1977 in Iran, started his artistic work in 1994 after going through the training of Iranian Youth Cinema Society. He made his first film in 1998. His short films have been screened nationally and internationally, and won many awards.

Filmography: White Human (1998), A lullaby for wakefulness (2001), Third person singular (2004), A cozy place for the fish (2006), Sky without passport (2009), Bitter Milk (2010).

Rojin

Director: Chiman Rahimi, 2010, UK, 10 minutes, Cast: Shivani Ghai (Five Days, House of Saddam, Bride and Prejudice)

[As part of the Short Program, Sunday, September 11 @ 11 AM]

::

Rojin, a young Kurdish girl, flees from political persecution in Iran. She reaches the safe haven of England as an illegal immigrant. Many years later, she has established a new life in London and works in an exclusive hotel. Out of the blue, the horrors of her former life come flooding back, when she recognizes one of the guests, her persecutor.


Chiman Rahimi

Chiman Rahimi is a female Kurdish film director, born in Sanandaj, East Kurdistan. A few years after the political unrest of 1979, she was forced to flee Iran. She escaped through Europe to a refugee camp in Germany, before finally being granted political asylum in the UK in 1993. Now settled in London, Chiman has perused her dream of studying film. She graduated from the London College of Communications in 2000.  Since then, Chiman has worked as a reporter for various newspapers and satellite TV stations. She has also worked on radio drama such as 'Zinar Tower' for BBC Radio 4, and has worked as freelance writer for plays such as 'Golem', produced by the renowned Polyglot theatre company. Chiman's most recent project is a short film, Rojin.

The Lion Wearers

Director: Narges Abyar, 2010, Germany/Iran, 11 minutes
 
[Screening with: I Was Worth 50 Sheep, Saturday, September 10 @ 11 AM]

1400 years ago, a tragedy occurred for a holy man named Imam Hussein and his companions. He was genocide along with his few companions by an enormous   army at the Karbalah desert. It is told that each night a lion appeared on their bodies, and mourned by their sorrow. As time has passed by, this story has changed to a part of the Ashoura customs throughout the Shia. Nasir is a Sunni who the clergies of his religion are against this custom. But he is dreaming for peace between the 2 branches of Islam, and he participates in this custom of the Shia and plays the role of the lion.


Narges Abyar



Narges Abyar was born in 1972 in Tehran. She studied Persian Literature and received her B.A. in this field. She has devoted most of her time to writing, which had led to the publication of twenty story and fiction books for children, young adults and also the adults. She has made several short and one documentary films.
Filmography: Kind Dead End (2006), One day after the 10th day (2007), Nasur (2009), The Lion Wearers (2010)


Cinderelleg

Director: Sajad Shahedi , 2010, Iran, 12 minutes

[As part of the Short Program, Sunday, September 11 @ 11 AM]



Legs that might be broken anywhere on earth…

Sajad Shahedi



Sajad Shahedi has a diploma in cinema from the academy of fine arts and has a bachelor’s degree in cinema from the University of Arts. He has won several awards for his past films:

Festivals & Awards: Silverwave, Canada: Best Int. short film award, Fesancor, Chile 2010, La Meko, Germany 2010. Blue November 2010. Dam short film festival, Exground, Germany Nov 2010. Festival Merveilluex 2011

Hakel, Makel

Director: Nahid Shamsi, 2010, Iran, 3 minutes

[As part of the Short Program, Sunday, September 11 @ 11 AM]



The story of forgotten and ancient songs (or ancient croon) and homes in the ancient city of Kermanshah.


Nahid Shamsi



Nahid Shamsi was born in 1971 in Kermanshah, Iran. She studied cinema at Iranian Young Cinema Society then directed many short films from 2001 including: One Cup of Tea, Hana, Mam, Dancing of Apple, Farhadtash, I live with my fin…

And Dammam Again

Director: Iman Hajizadeh, Iran 2010, 21 minutes

[As aprt of the Musical Films, Saturday, September 10 @ 5:50 PM]



The events in Karbala and the effect of Ashoora rituals in the lives of the people of southern Iran.


Iman Hajizadeh



Iman Hajizadeh born in Kangan in 1984 has been active in theatrical arts and making short film.

Bahram, An Iranian Rapper

Director: Sam Ali Kashani [In Person], 2011, Iran/USA, 13 minutes, Cast: Bahram

[As aprt of the Musical Films, Saturday, September 10 @ 5:50 PM]



In a society where rap music is considered forbidden, Bahram has been able to break all social and political barriers, and successfully establish himself as one of the premier hip-hop artists in Iran’s booming underground music movement.

Since age of 13, he has continued to develop his unique talents in songwriting, composition, and rapping, in addition to personally funding his work in a country where financial sponsorship for such and artistic venture is virtually non-existent. Even so, Bahram has achieved fame and recognition from Iranians and non-Iranians throughout the world, who appreciate his powerful lyrics, hard-hitting beats, and commanding vocal presence.

Sam Ali Kashani



 Sam Ali Kashani was born in New Jersey in 1985, grew up in Los Angeles where he attended film school at California State University, Northridge. He received his B.A. in Cinema and Television Arts in 2006, and shortly after, visited Iran for the very first time. It was then that he decided the subject matter of his first project: the misconceptions people have in regards to contemporary Iranian society. The following summer, he returned to Iran where he wrote, directed, and produced his debut documentary "Tehran: Another Side". Sam's next few projects focus more on the booming underground culture in Iran, specifically the hip‐hop movement taking place among the youth. Currently, Sam is a 3rd year medical student, and while studying medicine occupies the greater part of his daily life, he still dedicates himself to projects that aim at providing a more positive and peaceful image of his home country, Iran.


Roghieh

Director: Alysse Stepanian, 2009, USA, 5 minutes, Cast: Kellen Anne Kaiser, Victoria Murphy, April Mae Bassett, Language: Armenian & Farsi with English subtitles

[As part of the Short Program, Sunday, September 11 @ 11 AM]



Iranian born Alysse Stepanian moved to the US shortly after the Iranian Revolution in 1979. This film is based on her early dream journal. “Roghieh” paints a surreal picture of the early stages of the Iranian Revolution, when it empowered the underprivileged, which had a significant role in the overthrow of an elitist regime. A cleaning lady’s broom becomes a weapon symbolizing new found strength. She jumps into the revolution from the wall-less bedroom of a young girl caught in the middle of great social changes and role reversals.


Alysse Stepanian



Alysse Stepanian is a multimedia and cross-disciplinary artist. Her videos, paintings, installations, and performances have been presented internationally, in nearly 150 shows in 22 countries. Stepanian is the creator and curator of Manipulated Image video screenings based in the US.  In July 2011 she curated video art, paintings and photography for a Kamikaze exhibit at PØST in Los Angeles. For Cologne OFF 2011 she curated videos by 9 Iranian artists which will travel the globe, and has made stops at the Arad Art Museum in Romania, Szczecin/Poland, and Galleria Rajatilla in Tampere/Finland. Most recent screenings of Stepanian’s videos include: Contemporary Museum in Baltimore, Maryland; Anthology Film Archives, New York City; Vasteras Konstmuseum, Sweden; Gaza International Festival For Video Art; Teatro Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Arte Cubano in Havana.  Beijing’s City Weekend Magazine listed “Don’t be afraid, be ready”, her 2006 multimedia installation in China, as number one of the top 5 exhibits.

Human Beings

Director: Mashaallah Mohammadi, Iran, 3 minutes

[As part of the Short Program, Sunday, September 11 @ 11 AM]



A man cut a pace of earth and other man …

Mashaallah Mohammadi



Mashaallah Mohammadi was born in 1969, Sanandaj, Iran. He started painting when he was12, under the supervision of Hadi Ziaodini. In 1987 he entered university of fine arts in Tehran. He has been thought by Roeen pakbaz to learn different styles. Korben, Vangog, the impressionists, the foests, experiences and more. His influences were the colors and the usage of them and also the impressions of them. In 1992 he came back to Sanandaj and began to adapt these experiences with his life. These works are some attempts in this regard. He has participated in many individual and group exhibitions, in Tehran, Sanandaj, Tabriz, Arbil and Dehok (Iraq- Kurdistan), Stockholm and Lingshopen (Sweden). He started making animation films in 2004.