Friday, May 1, 2026
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London Film Festival Features Trump Biopic by Abbasi, Rasoulof’s New Movie

By Ahmad Rafat The BFI London Film Festival, which ran from Oct. 8 to Oct. 20, showcased the work of Iranian directors and actors from Iran and the diaspora, with two movies receiving particular attention: ...

A Portrait of My Mother: Filmmaker Massoumi Screens New Documentary

Trailer courtesy of Nariman Massoumi. By Tara Biglari The British-Iranian filmmaker Dr. Nariman Massoumi pays a moving tribute to his mother Manijeh in a half-hour documentary screened recently at London’s Royal Anthropological Institute. “How do you see...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...
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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 Cinema’s New Hope: Panah Panahi, London Film Festival Award Winner 

By Ahmad Rafat Iranian director Panah Panahi’s first feature film “Hit the Road” won the Best Film Award at the 65th BFI London Film Festival last month. Panahi was up against stiff competition for the...
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BBC Series on Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe Is A Tale of Cruelty and Survival, Husband Says

By Natasha Phillips A new BBC series titled "Prisoner 951" depicts the harrowing and true story of British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was arbitrarily detained in Iran for almost six years, and the subsequent campaign led by her husband...