Monday, July 13, 2026

Growing Up With Gender Identity Disorder in Iran: Interview with Pooya Mohseni

By Fred Parvaneh Mohseni is an Iranian-American actor, writer, and activist. A graduate of New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology and the Maggie Flanigan Studio, Pooya has had a string of lead, supporting and recurring...

At Venice Film Festival, Filmmaker Rasoulof Is On Main Competition Jury

By Ahmad Rafat The 82nd International Venice Film Festival is currently under way on Lido island in Venice. The event concludes on Sept. 6 with the announcement of the Golden Lion, the Silver Lion, and...

Rave Parties in the Iranian Desert Are Subject of New Documentary

By Julie Ershadi
In the Iranian poetic tradition, the desert is the symbol of a soul-searching spiritual journey, or a refuge from the eyes of the world. In Raving Iran, filmmaker Susanne Regina Meures’ 2016 documentary, the desert is the hiding place for a pair of modern revelers keen to express themselves away from the government’s reach.

Letter from 200 Iranian Filmmakers Demands Greater Creative Freedom

A group of 200 filmmakers has sent an open letter to President Hassan Rouhani and the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Abbas Salehi, demanding “an end to the current guidelines that require filmmakers...

Cannes Film Festival Remembers Kiarostami, Screens His Last Movie

Abbas Kiarostami, the celebrated Iranian filmmaker who passed away in July 2016, was a Cannes Film Festival regular. Not only did he win the Palme d'Or in 1997 for "The Taste of Cherry," but...

Most Iranians Have Never Been to the Movies, Culture Minister Says

There are no movie theaters in nearly 1,000 cities in Iran, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) has reported, citing Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Abbas Salehi. “According to a recent study, nearly 88...

Producer of Iranian Horror Movie Armin Amiri Says the Genre Has Potential

By Fred Parvaneh Iranian-born Armin Amiri is an American movie actor, producer, restaurateur and a former New York City club owner known for its toughest rope policy. Amiri is best known for his supporting roles in...

Iranian Film Director Jafar Panahi in Cannes for First Time in Over 20 Years

By Miranda Murray and Michaela Cabrera CANNES, France, May 20 (Reuters) - Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, who was barred from travelling by the government in Tehran for 15 years, appeared on the Cannes Film Festival's red carpet on Tuesday...

Venice Film Festival Hosts Filmmakers Shirin Neshat, Khatami

Four Iranian directors are presenting their movies at this year's Venice Film Festival (which ends Sept. 9), all of them outside of the official competition. They include Shirin Neshat, who won the festival's Silver...

Antonio Banderas Co-Stars With Golshifteh Farahani, Discovers Prehistoric Site

By Ahmad Rafat Cinemas all over Spain this year have been showing a new movie called Altamira, with Antonio Banderas in the title role. Mr. Banderas, one of the best-known faces in world cinema, plays Marcelino Sanz...