Iranian Filmmakers, Actresses Defy Regime In Aftermath of Protests
By Ahmad Rafat and Firouzeh Nordstrom
Since the start of the ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ movement in 2022, Iranian cinema has entered a new phase unparalleled in the past four and a half decades. Independent filmmakers...
Films By Iranian Women Get Top Billing In Europe’s Movie Theaters
By Ahmad Rafat
Women directors of Iranian descent are seeing their movies widely showcased across European movie theaters. The directors are Zar Amir Ebrahimi, with “Tatami;” Maryam Keshavarz, the Iranian-American director of “The Persian Version;”...
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...
Iran’s First Feminist Qorrat al-Ayn Is Brought Back to Life in New Movie
By Katayoon Halajan
Shabnam Tolouei is an Iranian-born actress, stage director and playwright who moviegoers will remember as the lead actress in Shirin Neshat’s movie "Women Without Men" (winner of the Venice Film Festival's top Golden Lion award in 2009). Tolouei is now back
Shabnam Tolouei is an Iranian-born actress, stage director and playwright who moviegoers will remember as the lead actress in Shirin Neshat’s movie "Women Without Men" (winner of the Venice Film Festival's top Golden Lion award in 2009). Tolouei is now back
Hollywood Filmmaker Ana Lily Amirpour Discusses Her New Movie, Iranian Roots
By Laura van Straaten
Hours before opening weekend for her much-anticipated movie “The Bad Batch,” the
Iranian-American screenwriter and director Ana Lily Amirpour sat down for an interview with Kayhan Life to discuss her quick rise...
‘Homeland’ Actor Navid Negahban to Play the Sultan in ‘Aladdin’
By Shahrnaz Nancy Southwick
The Iranian-American actor Navid Negahban is best known for his role as the Al-Qaeda leader Abu Nazir in the Emmy-winning series "Homeland." He is sometimes described as "the man of a...
Iranian Film Professionals Boycott Islamic Republic’s Fajr Festival
By Ahmad Rafat
A significant number of people in the Iranian film industry have said that they will not attend the 41st Fajr International Film Festival, which is being held between Feb. 1 and 11...
Banned Iranian Directors Are In Competition For Top Berlin Film Festival Prize
By Ahmad Rafat
A movie by two Iranian directors currently facing a travel ban is in competition for the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival, or Berlinale, which is due to be held from Feb....
Actress Mary Apick Discusses Her Animation Film On Iran’s Underage Street Peddlers
By Ahmad Rafat
Iranian-American stage and television actress Mary Apick has produced a 13-minute animation film titled “The Cat” drawing attention to the plight of Iran’s child peddlers. The focus of the story: a flower...
Asghar Farhadi Wins Cannes Festival Grand Prix for ‘A Hero’; Will He Get A...
By Nazanine Nouri
The Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi was one of the big winners at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. His movie “A Hero” (“Ghahreman”) won the Grand Prix -- the festival’s second most important...
