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Source:
PARSA Community Foundation
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Taghi Amirani |
Few conferences in the world attract as many movers
and shakers as the annual TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Conference and
few are as inspiring. Since 1984, this annual event has attracted speakers as
diverse as Bill Gates, Jane Goodall and Bono and seeks to address questions as
varied as "What is life?" and "Who are the young thinkers and doers capable of
shaping the future?" This year, the organizers of the TED Conference announced
the introduction of the TED Fellows program, an international program designed
to foster the spread of great ideas. Among the 50 Fellows selected in 2009 was
Taghi Amirani, an Iranian physicist turned award-winning documentary filmmaker.
Amirani is also a member of PARSA Community Foundation's Grant Advisory
Committee.
Born in 1960 in a small village near Varamin in Iran, Amirani moved to England
in 1975, studied physics at university and went on to become a documentary
filmmaker. In a career spanning 20 years he has made thirty-six films. Amirani
is also a Producer-Director at Amirani Films, which he set up in 1993 with his
brother Amir. Their clients include the BBC, Channel 4, PBS, Aljazeera and
National Geographic TV. Amirani's inauguration this year as a TED Fellow made
him not only a trailblazer for the TED community but for the global Iranian
community as well. "It's exciting to be among such a diverse and inspiring group
of people," Amirani said. "For me TED is about the art of the possible with a
dash of can-do idealism that helps you see your work and your contribution in a
new light," he added. "Certainly my creative vision as a filmmaker has been
strengthened and nourished by joining the TED community. As an Iranian, I hope I
can contribute to their understanding of Iran, its rich history, contemporary
culture, and dynamic people."
As a TED Fellow, one of Amirani's goals will be to communicate his work to the
TED community and to the world. TED facilitates this by having Amirani and other
TED Fellows attend the TED Conference in one of its locations worldwide, where
they have the opportunity to speak during TED and spread their ideas through
TED.com. They also receive a private social network and the opportunity to talk
about their ongoing experiences via the TED Fellows blog. Readers can follow
Amirani's TED blog here:
http://posterous.com/people/Q1vwtjkJ1L
The TED Fellows program focuses on attracting applicants living or working in
Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Middle East, with attention
given to individuals who have shown unusual accomplishment, exceptional courage
and the potential to increase positive change in their respective fields. The
program focuses on innovators in technology, entertainment, design, science,
film, art, music, entrepreneurship and the NGO community. Applications to become
a 2010 TED Fellow are open and applicants can apply online at:
http://www.ted.com/pages/view/id/247
With an Iranian among the first TED Fellows and the TED Fellows program eager to
attract applicants from the Middle East, next year's fellowship presents a
unique opportunity for innovative Iranian thinkers and doers to make a
difference in the lives of others. As the TED Fellows program enters its second
year, this is an extraordinary time to take advantage of the fellowship and join
this group of world-changing innovators.
The next TED Conference will be held in Long Beach, California from February
9-13, 2010. TEDIndia will also be held in Mysore, India, on November 4-7, 2009.
While registration for these events has ended or sold out, applicants still have
the opportunity to register for TEDActive 2010, a simulcast event in Palm
Springs, CA, which features a live satellite feed from Long Beach and exclusive
performances on site:
http://conferences.ted.com/TED2010/register.php
PARSA CF congratulates Taghi Amirani for receiving this prestigious fellowship
and thanks him for making a difference in the lives of Iranian-Americans by
donating his time, energy and domain expertise to reviewing and evaluating grant
applications at PARSA CF.
For more information, please visit
http://www.amiranifilms.com/.
... Payvand News - 09/28/09 ... --
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