Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Halloween with a Persian Twist

By Fred Parvaneh Halloween is a quintessentially American celebration – yet one that countless Iranians around the globe happily partake in. Halloween relives the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in), which originated in Ireland, the...

Iranian Director Brings Tale of Despair and Resilience to Venice

By Crispian Balmer VENICE, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Repression, conflict and political upheaval at home inspired Iranian drama "A Bit of Light", its makers said at the Venice Film Festival on Friday, describing a society increasingly numbed by repeated tragedy. The movie by...

Venice Festival May Screen Jafar Panahi’s Documentary on Iran Flood Victims

A documentary film by the award-winning Iranian director Jafar Panahi and the veteran actress Pouri Banayi on the plight of people in the southern flood-stricken provinces of Khuzestan and Lorestan could be screened at...

‘Iranian New Wave’ Film Festival Opens At London’s Barbican With Movie Banned in Iran

By Nazanine Nouri The Barbican Center, one of London’s leading cultural institutions, launched its annual festival of Iranian cinema after last year’s event ranked as one of its most successful film programs ever. The festival...

‘Tips for Survival’: Interview with Filmmaker, Actress Reem Kadem

By Fred Parvaneh Reem Kadem is an American-born Iraqi actress, filmmaker and activist living in Los Angeles.She is best known for playing the lead role in "Nawal the Jewel," inspired by the story of Reyhaneh...

Shirin Neshat Presents Movie in Venice, Opens Photography Show in London

By Nazanine Nouri Shirin Neshat -- who in 2009 won the Venice Film Festival’s Silver Lion best-director award for “Women Without Men” -- was back at this year’s festival for the premiere of a movie...

‘The Night,’ First U.S.-Made Film To Be Released in Iran, Impresses U.S. Film Critics 

By Tim Cornwell Sometime this year, an Iranian-American movie will make history. “The Night” -- a hallucinatory horror film by the young director Kourosh Ahari -- will be the first U.S.-produced movie to show in...

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...
video

Iranian-Australian Actor Mojean Aria Wins Heath Ledger Award

By Fred Parvaneh In early June, the young Iranian-Australian actor Mojean (pronounced Moe-zhan) Aria was announced as the recipient of the 2017 "Heath Ledger Scholarship". The prestigious award, created by the non-profit organization Australians in Film,...

Iranian Films Win Awards At Venice Film Festival

By Ahmad Rafat Iranian filmmakers and actors won three awards in the Horizons (Orizzonti) section of the Venice Film Festival earlier this month. The section runs parallel to the main festival competition. Dominique Welinski and René...