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Berkeley - Afsaneh Dance Academy Nowruz Showcase and Party
Wednesday March 20 - Join us at the Afsaneh Dance Academy 8th Street Studio for an evening of intimate showcase performances. Students of the Afsaneh Dance Academy, and guest artists. Come celebrate with us for the turning of the seasons, Silk Road style! - 3/18/13
Iranian distributor seeking to premiere Asghar Farhadi's "Past"
The Iranian film distribution company Filmiran is seeking to premiere Asghar Farhadi's "The Past" in Iran. The 11-million Euro picture is his first project that is being shot outside of his native Iran. The French company, Memento Films Production, is the producer of the film. - 3/17/13
Iranian actresses file complaints against conservative filmmaker for calling them prostitutes like Angelina Jolie
Last September, conservative Iranian filmmaker called Iranian cinema "A whorehouse." Farajollah Salahshour, a filmmaker with close ties to hardline circles in Iran, said Iranian actresses are on par with Angelina Jolie, and that Iranian cinema needs an international prostitute to continue its activities. - 3/14/13
I stand by the Iranian people against Hollywood: French lawyer
Renowned French lawyer Isabelle Coutant-Peyre, who plans to file a lawsuit against Hollywood companies over the production of films which promote Iranophobia, has said that she will stand by the Iranian people in this case. - 3/13/13
Nostalgia and Naivete - Watching Argo as an Iranian-American
My reaction to last year's blockbuster hit, and now multiple Oscar-winner, Argo was probably different than most people. Among many things, it made me nostalgic. Watching those Americans trapped in Tehran, bizarrely enough, evoked memories of my adolescence. While the film did not portray the Iran I knew, it reminded me of the overwhelming, irrational, and hypersensitive feelings I had while living in the country as an teenager. -Holly Dagres - 3/11/13
A Journey Through Iranian Cinema With Mark Cousins
In A Journey Through Iranian Cinema With Mark Cousins, Iranian filmmaker Ehsan Khoshbakht catches up with Mark during the English tour of The Story of Film. Mark explores the impact of the films of Forough Farrokhzad, Abbas Kiarostami and the Makhmalbaf(s) have had on his life as filmmaker and film lover as he reminisces about the two trips he made from Scotland to Iran in his campervan. - 3/8/13
"Amour" to hit Iranian theaters
Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke's romance drama "Amour" will be screened at Iranian theaters on March 6. "Amour" won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film this year. The film previously received a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. - 3/4/13
Googoosh Nowruz 2013 Concerts
Sunday March 24 in Dubai and Tuesday March 26 in London - Googoosh's phenomenally successful career in the performing arts spans 6 decades, and she is regarded as the most iconic and influential female singer of Iran. - 3/2/13
The Symphony Orchestra of the St. Petersburg Conservatory will give the world's first performance of music by Iranian composer Mehdi Hosseini
On March 1, 2013 in the Glazunov concert hall at the St. Petersburg Conservatory named after N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov there will be a concert performed by the Symphony Orchestra of the Opera and Ballet Theatre of the St. Petersburg State Conservatory conducted by Alim Shakhmametiev, and the music "Hesar" written by the Iranian composer Mehdi Hosseini will be performed for the first time ever. - 2/27/13
Operation Reaction: Argo
Argo, the box office hit and Oscar award winning film directed by and starring Ben Affleck, has caused a stir in the Iranian American community. Scores of articles by Iranian and non-Iranians have been published questioning the film's historical accuracy and its portrayal of Iranians. - 2/26/13
Michelle Obama's Oscar Dress Too Sexy For Iran's State Media
Iran's Fars news agency has Photoshopped a picture of U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama from the February 24 broadcast of the Academy Awards, electronically adding material to her dress to make it less revealing. The dress, a shimmering silver, sleeveless gown by Indian-born American designer Naeem Khan, was widely praised in the U.S fashion press. - 2/26/13
Argo Wins Academy Award for Best Picture
An excited Ben Affleck - who produced, directed and starred in the movie - thanked those involved in both the film and the operation. "I thank everyone in the movie, on the movie, worked on the movie, did anything with this movie gets thanked," he said. "I want to thank Canada, I want to thank our friends in Iran, living in terrible circumstances right now." -Mike O'Sullivan, VOA - 2/25/13
Khamenei Explains His Views on Art and Cinema to Ammar Organizers: Rooz Talks with Filmmaker Mohammad Nourizad
More details have emerged about the Tuesday meeting that Iran's supreme leader had with the organizers of the Ammar People's Film Festival, an event held in Tehran last week. The speeches and exchanges at the meeting are noteworthy. - 2/25/13
Fajr International Music Festival announces winners
Winners of the 28th Fajr International Music Festival were announced during a ceremony at Tehran's Vahdat Hall on Tuesday evening. Although a few foreign groups including the German-French group, the Tarkovsky Quartet, participated in the festival, none of them groups were among the winners. - 2/21/13
Babe's and Ricky's Inn: A Tribute to Mama & her life-long Love for the Blues
It was very appropriate that Babe's & Ricky's Inn had its world premiere as the Centerpiece of the Pan African Film Festival on Valentine's Day... Ramin Niami and Behrooz Arshadi, affectionately called "The Persian Blues Brothers", have put together a labor of love that every music lover must see. -Enclave LA - 2/21/13
Iranian ministry slams Berlin prize for filmmaker Jafar Panahi
Iran's Ministry of Culture and Guidance has denounced Jafar Panahi's recent filmmaking activities and criticized the awarding of the Silver Bear to his film at the Berlin Film Festival. In fact, the Iranian judiciary has banned Panahi from making films for 20 years and sentenced him to six years in prison. He is basically under house arrest in Iran and barred from leaving the country. - 2/19/13
2013 Farhang Short Film Festival's Top 6 Nominees Selected
The Top 6 Nominees of the 5th Annual Farhang Foundation Short Film Festival have officially been announced. They are And We Pass By (Iran), Distant Words (Australia), Karbafi (Iran), Khourosh Ali Khan: Jazz Fusion in Iran (USA), Namaki (Iran), and Rostam in WonderLand - Sohrab's Blood (USA). - 2/17/13
Iranian Film Wins Best Screenplay Award At Berlin Film Festival
The Iranian film "Closed Curtain" has won the top prize for best screenplay at the 63rd Berlin film festival. The film was co-directed by Kamboziya Partovi and dissident director Jafar Panahi in defiance of a 20-year ban on filmmaking. - 2/17/13
Call For Film Submissions: 6th Annual Iranian Film Festival in San Francisco
The 6th Annual Iranian Film Festival - San Francisco, a showcase for the independent feature and short films made by or about Iranians from around the world, is inviting the filmmakers from all over the world to submit their films to the next edition taking place September 2013. - 2/17/13
Dutch, Iranian pianists refresh "Persian Hours" in Tehran
Dutch pianist Ralph van Raat and Iranian pianist Aida Sigharian performed French composer Charles Louis Eugene Koechlin's masterpiece "The Persian Hours" (Les heures persanes) at Tehran's Rudaki Hall on Thursday night. The audience was impressed by the duet, which was performed at the 28th Fajr International Music Festival - 2/16/13
Social History of Iranian Cinema at UC Irvine
Samuel Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture at UC Irvine and Farhang Foundation Lecture Series in Iranian Studies present "Social History of Iranian Cinema" with Professor Hamid Naficy and Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani Professor in Communication, Northwestern University - 2/15/13
Iranian director vows to go ahead in the face of ban
Iran's Jafar Panahi has defied a 20-year ban on filmmaking to secretly co-direct "Closed Curtain", a multi-layered portrayal of how restrictions on his work and movement have brought on depression and even thoughts of suicide. The movie, in competition at the Berlin film festival, has its premiere on Tuesday, but Panahi was not expected on the red carpet despite festival organizers saying the German government had requested he be allowed to travel. -Reuters - 2/13/13
World War II drama wins best film award at Fajr festival
A film on the Allied occupation of Iran during World War II won the Crystal Simorgh for best film in the national competition at the 31st Fajr International Film Festival. Directed by Ali Ghaffari, "The Restitution" traces the events that led to the Allied occupation of Iran during World War II. - 2/12/13
New York's Lincoln Center featuring "A Close Up Of Abbas Kiarostami"
From sublime shorts and early documentaries and narratives on through a stunning string of films in the 1990s and a fascinating and wide-ranging exploration of the possibilities of digital video in the new century, the cinema of Abbas Kiarostami stands as one of contemporary cinema's most vital and important statements. - 2/12/13
Film: Jerry and Me
In her intimate documentary "Jerry & Me," filmmaker Mehrnaz Saeedvafa examines the significant role that Hollywood movies played in her life, both as a young film lover growing up in pre-revolutionary Iran, and as an adult working as a filmmaker and educator in both Iran and the USA. - 2/11/13
Why the Iranian film industry is like Hollywood before 1969
It may come as no surprise that what international audiences refer to as "Iranian cinema" covers only a small, selective portion of the films produced in Iran. For all the innovative, artistic films that garner attention at festivals, there are many more that never cross the borders. Some of these are accomplished art films in their own right, but the rest, a majority, do not have any artistic pretensions. -Houman Harouni, Guardian - 2/11/13
It takes guts to make a film like "Scandal": Iranian Director Masud Dehnamaki
Director of "The Outcasts" trilogy Masud Dehnamaki has said that it takes guts to make a film like "Scandal", his latest film which challenges Iran's official view on Muslim clerics. "Certain people lament that this film would raise people's expectations about the clerics," he said during a meeting held at the 31st Fajr International Film Festival in Tehran on Tuesday to review the film. - 2/9/13
"Rule of Accident" wins best film Crystal Simorgh in Fajr International Film Festival
"The Rule of Accident", an Iranian family drama, has won the Crystal Simorgh for best film in the international section of the 31st Fajr International Film Festival. Director/producer Behnam Behzadi received the award during the closing ceremony of the section at Tehran's Vahdat Hall on Monday evening. Behzadi also won a Crystal Simorgh for best director. - 2/6/13
"Earth and Coral" was made to improve the image of Iran in Afghanistan: Director
The screenwriter of the film, Pantea Tajbakhsh, said that Atyabi changed the screenplay. "The rapist in my screenplay was a Taliban fighter not a U.S. soldier," she noted. "In my screenplay, there was only one reference to the U.S. troops who were respectfully inspecting cars at a checkpoint," Tajbakhsh stated. - 2/6/13
Swiss, Iranian play "Tell/Zahhak" honored at Fajr theater festival
Swiss director Niklaus Helbling and Iranian director Ali-Asghar Dashti have won the award for best director in the international competition section of the 31st Fajr International Theater Festival for their joint performance in "Tell/Zahhak". - 2/3/13
Iranian Filmmaker Mohammad Shirvani Wins Rotterdam's Tiger Award
Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Shirvani's film Fat Shaker is the joint winner of of the Tiger Awards 2013 at the 42nd Rotterdam Film Festival's Golden Tiger. Fat Shaker is no ordinary film - certainly not by Iranian standards. Its maker, Mohammad Shirvani, is an artist who uses powerful and occasionally absurd images. - 2/2/13
Fajr International Film Festival opens in Tehran
The 31st edition of the Fajr International Film Festival, Iran's most important event in the film industry, opened during a ceremony at Tehran's Vahdat Hall on Wednesday evening. - 1/31/13
Screen Actors Guild Award lauds Iran's 'Stunt 13' group
Tehran-based 'Stunt 13' team including two stuntmen and a stuntwoman along with some 100 other stunts was hailed for performing some of the more hard stunts in the action flick Skyfall. - 1/30/13
Iran's quiet, calm rebel of music
The jail cell where they held composer Farshid Samandari smelled like urine and vomit. But he lay on the carpet and invited his cellmates to use him as a pillow to sleep, he said. He was their leader, after all, and almost a decade older than most, at 28. -Amy Smart, Times Colonist - 1/29/13
Wikileaks film script leaked to Wikileaks
"It is a mass propaganda attack against WikiLeaks, the organization (and) the character of my staff," he said, adding that the movie -- the opening scenes of which Assange described as taking place in Tehran and Cairo -- also hyped Western fears over the Islamic Republic's disputed atomic energy program. "It is not just an attack against us, it is an attack against Iran. It fans the flames of an attack against Iran," he said. - AP - 1/26/13
Hollywood's Terrorist Of The Moment: 'Homeland's' Abu Nazir
Iranian-American actor Navid Negahban is one of the stars of the enormously popular American television series, "Homeland," a show whose plot revolves around CIA agents, an ex-prisoner of war, and terror threats to the United States. - 1/24/13
Mamak Khadem Sings the Poetry of Sohrab Sepehri
At Asia Society Texas Center, Mamak will be collaborating with Sahba Motallebi and other performers and instrumentalists from Iran and the West. Mamak hopes to inspire people around the world, particularly the young, to contemplate, observe, and celebrate the value of nature and the environment. - 1/24/13
German puppetry therapist surprised by thirst for knowledge in Iran
The founder of the German Association for Therapeutic Puppetry, Barbara Scheel, began a series of workshops starting January 20 on the sidelines of the 31st Fajr International Theater Festival in Tehran. - 1/24/13
31st Fajr International Film Festival: International Lineup Unveiled
The 31st Fajr International Film festival has announced list of the selected movies participating in the international competition section of the festival. Some sixteen productions were selected from 383 movies submitted by filmmakers from 71 countries across the world. - 1/23/13
Photos: Prominent Iranian music figure Homayoon Khorram laid to rest
Homayoon Khorram, a prominent Iranian composer and violinist, was laid to rest on Sunday January 20 in the Artists section of Tehran's Beheshte Zahra. Khorram was one of the last remaining students of Iranian music master Abolhassan Saba - 1/21/13
Nutz About Big Bad Boo Studios
For children of immigrants, growing up in the United States can sometimes be a difficult juggling maneuver of embracing one's family's culture at home while participating in and adopting the American culture at school and among peers. - 1/21/13
U.S. theaters now hosting Iranian film "Modest Reception"
The acclaimed Iranian film "Modest Reception" has premiered at theaters in the United States. The latest work of director/actor Mani Haqiqi went on screen at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York on January 13. - 1/19/13
Photos: Third day of Fajr Theater Festival in Tehran
These photos show one of the performances that was held on the third day of the 31st Fajr International Theater Festival outside Tehran's City Theater Complex on Friday. The festival opened on January 15 in Tehran and will continue until January 31. - 1/18/13
Don Quixote, Hamlet to meet on stage at Fajr Theater Festival in Tehran
The Iranian stage director Maryam Motaref will stage "The Knight and the Sword-bearer", a play on a fantasy meeting of Don Quixote and Hamlet, during the 31st Fajr International Theater Festival. - 1/17/13
The Boston Festival of Films From Iran
Celebrate the diversity of Iranian cinema in this annual festival offering varying perspectives on the complexity of Persian life and culture. Eight different short films will be showcased at the MFA throughout the next two weeks (January 19-31), each offering a unique window into life in Iran. - 1/17/13
Photos: Shooting of "The Puzzle of the Shah" begins
The shooting of "The Puzzle of the Shah", a TV series about the life story of former Iranian monarch Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, began during a ceremony in Tehran's Mellat Museum on Tuesday, which was the 34th anniversary of his departure from Iran. - 1/16/13
Photos: First day of Fajr Theater Festival
The first day of the 31st Fajr Theater Festival was held outside Tehran's City Theater Complex on Wednesday with performances from local Iranian troupes. This complex is one of the main venues hosting theatergoers during the festival. - 1/16/13
Call for Entries: 6th Annual Noor Iranian Film Festival
Submissions are now open for Feature Films, Documentaries, Short Films, and Animations. Films from Iranian filmmakers, films made about Iran or Iranians, and films that include Iranians as part of the cast or crew qualify for submission. - 1/16/13
Argo Wins Top Awards at Golden Globes
Ben Affleck's Iran hostage drama Argo and the musical Les Miserables were the big winners Sunday at the 70th annual Golden Globe Awards, while Steven Spielberg's heavily favored presidential drama Lincolnwon only one major award. - 1/14/13
Fajr Theater Festival announces international competition lineup
The 31st Fajr International Theater Festival announced the lineup for the international competition on Saturday. Twenty four Iranian and foreign troupes will be performing in this section of the festival, which will begin in Tehran on January 15. - 1/13/13
German-French quartet to perform at Fajr Music Festival in Tehran
The Tarkovsky Quartet, a group of German and French musicians, will perform at the 28th Fajr International Music Festival in Tehran in February. The quartet is led by French pianist and composer Francois Couturier, who founded the group in 1977 to pay homage to Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky. - 1/12/13
Iranian police make arrests over music productions
Five people have been arrested for "the production of illegal and underground music for singers in Los Angles and satellite networks", the Iranian police force announced today. - 1/11/13
28th Fajr International Music Festival to kick off in Tehran
The 28th Fajr International Music Festival will kick off in Tehran in February. Six halls in Tehran will host 57 musical ensembles during the festival, which will be held from February 13 to 19. - 1/10/13
"Seven Nights with an Uninvited Guest in New York": Theater duo Aiish and Nasirian back at Fajr festival
The play is about a man who lives in New York. He is a surrealist intellectual who has reached a complete deadlock with modernity and is on the verge of killing himself. Meanwhile, an uninvited guest of a simple nature comes from Iran to visit him. - 1/9/13
Mani Haghighi's "Modest Reception" premieres in Tehran theaters
Modest Reception is the fourth film screened recently despite having been banned by Hoze Honari (Artistic Center of Islamic Development Organization), a supposedly non-governmental entity. In an interview with ISNA, Mani Haghighi had some harsh words for Hoze Honari. During the interview, Mani Haghighi said about Hoze Honari: "What role do you have in this country that proudly issue orders for artists? You only own some cinemas. If you are wise, you better go do a good job of running them instead of interfering in other people's affairs." - 1/7/13
PLAY: Mahmoud in Los Angeles
MAHMOUD is a one-woman show about an aging Iranian engineer-cum-taxi driver, a fabulously gay Spaniard, and a young Iranian-Canadian girl, all trying to get by the day-to-day grind in a big metropolitan city. Iranian born playwright/performer TARA GRAMMY invites us to watch as these characters' stories intertwine over the course of an hour, exploring themes of displacement, immigration, home, and culture. - 1/7/13
Swiss, Iranian troupes to reprise "Tell/Zahhak" at Fajr Theater Festival
Switzerland's Mass & Fieber and Iran's Don Quixote Theater Troupe plan to jointly perform "Tell/Zahhak" at the 31st Fajr International Theater Festival, which will be held in Tehran from January 15 to 31. - 1/6/13
Film: "Snow on Pines"
Peiman Mo'adi is famous for his parts in two of Asghar Farhadi's films, About Elli (2009) and Nader and Simin: A Separation (2011). Before acting, he wrote screenplays for such films as Swan Song, Coma, Thirst, Wedding Dinner, and Cafe Setareh all of which were among bestsellers. -Film International - 1/3/13
Dariush Mehrjuii to Take Comedy Drama to Fajr Festival
The 31st Fajr International Film Festival, Iran's most important event in the motion picture industry, will be screening Dariush Mehrjuii's comedy drama "So Good, You've Returned!" The film is about Farzad, a dental surgeon who returns to Iran after years to take a rest from some of the troubling issues of his life. - 1/2/13
Scorcher from Iran
With her killer looks and a ramp-scorching walk, one would expect nothing but diva-like behaviour from Iranian beauty Parto Gohari. It might come as a surprise, therefore, when you speak to her and find her to be sweet and effervescent. The young catwalk queen has been cementing her reputation as one of the top female models in the city even as she juggles a degree in literature. -Anusha Vincent, Deccan Chronicle - 12/31/12
In Iran, new movies boost wobbly film sector
Iran's acclaimed movie industry is the latest sector to suffer the effects of economic sanctions over the country's uranium-enrichment program. But as filmmakers warn that they might pause production because of lagging funds, two controversial new releases are breathing life into the domestic cinema scene. -Jason Rezaian, Washington Post - 12/31/12
Movies line up for Edinburgh Iranian Festival
Five Iranian films will be screened during the Edinburgh Iranian Festival, which is scheduled to be held in Scotland from February 1 to 10. - 12/26/12
70 countries expected to participate in 8th Tehran Animation Festival
With the announcement of the programs and call for the eighth Tehran Animation Festival, now representatives of 70 countries with 930 works are preparing to attend the festival. - 12/25/12
Tintin to appear on stage in Tehran
Iranian director Arvand Dashtarai plans to stage an adaptation of Georges Remi's "The Adventures of Tintin" in Tehran in February. The play entitled "Tintin and the Secret of Moundas Castle" will be performed at the Iranian Artists Forum's Iranhshar Hall, the forum announced on Wednesday. - 12/20/12
Iranian movie 'Alzheimer' grabs award for best playscript in Asia-Pacific Festival
The film 'Alzheimer' directed by Ahmad Reza Motamedi won the award for the best playscript in the 55th edition of Asia-Pacific Film Festival which was held in Macau, China, from December 13-16. - 12/19/12
"Prophet Mohammed": Hollywood, Arabs versus Iranian director
With the historical representation 'Prophet Mohammed' in its post-production stages, some Arab countries and Hollywood has launched the production of a movie on the Prophet Mohammed to bring the rivalry of Iran and Arab countries to a new spectacular highs. - 12/19/12
"Kahrizak: Four Views" wins special jury prize at Dubai filmfest
"Kahrizak: Four Views", a four-episode documentary on a charity center, has won the special jury prize at the 9th Dubai International Film Festival -- Four directors of different ages and levels of experience, each present a view of the Kahrizak Charity Centre, introducing us to fascinating characters and rituals, and a reflection on life and death itself. - 12/18/12
Filmmakers from 71 countries line up for Fajr festival
Filmmakers from 71 countries have submitted 383 works to the 31st Fajr International Film Festival. The filmmakers have applied to participate in various sections of the event, festival secretary Mohammadreza Abbasian said in a press release on Thursday. - 12/15/12
Animation of Hushang Moradi Kermani's "The Big Clay Jar" produced
An animation series based on Iranian children's author Hushang Moradi Kermani's "The Big Clay Jar" has recently been produced. The 13-epidosod series was produced by the Saba Art and Cultural Institute, which is affiliated with the Iranian Academy of Arts, the institute announced in a press release on Monday. - 12/12/12
Photos: Artists take puppet show to quake-stricken children
A group of Azerbaijani artists visited the quake-stricken areas in Arasbaran region on Friday and held puppet shows to help create a lively and fun atmosphere for the children. The artists also distributed gifts among the children. - 12/8/12
French festival honors Iranian documentary "The Last Days of Winter"
"The Last Days of Winter", an Iranian documentary directed by Mehrdad Oskuii, has received a special mention at the Traces de Vies Documentary Film Festival in Clermont-Ferrand, France. "The Last Days of Winter" is about seven Iranian boys talking candidly about their lives in a youth detention center. - 12/8/12
2012 Farhang Heritage Award Presented to Bahram Beyzaie
On Saturday, December 1, 2012, Farhang Foundation recognized the incomparable Bahram Beyzaie, the Daryabari Visiting Professor of Persian Letters at Stanford University, with the 2012 Farhang Heritage Award in recognition of his devotion to art, his enduring scholarship and contribution to the range of Iranian theatrical forms, and his love of the aesthetic and cultural legacy of Iran. - 12/4/12
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi on shortlist for Oscar nomination
Jafar Panahi's documentary This is Not a Film, made in collaboration with Mojtaba MirTahmasb, has been shortlisted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for January's Oscar nominations. - 12/4/12
Photos: Rallies held in Tehran For and Against Controversial Film "I Am Mother"
The premiere of a movie, which is alleged to contain un-Islamic scenes and dialogue, has provoked controversy in Tehran. Opponents and proponents of "I Am a Mother", directed by Fereidun Jeirani, held gatherings in front of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance on Saturday morning. The opponents, which are led by Ansar Hezbollah, also organized a demonstration on Friday. - 12/3/12
Hollywood Iranian Filmmakers Association launch party and screening
On November 18th, the Hollywood Iranian Filmmakers Association (HIFA) had their launch party and red carpet event in West Hollywood, where they screened some of their members films. - 12/1/12
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