(L-r: Kate Butler, Dale Roberts, Kate Croser).
Kojo has announced plans to team with Hedone Productions to create a new film and television production business under the Kojo Entertainment brand.
Hedone producer Kate Croser will join Kojo as head of production and development, bringing Hedone.s existing slate of projects over to Kojo..
Croser.s credits include The Infinite Man; Sbs comedy series Danger 5; ABC doco Michelle.s Story, and My Tehran for Sale. Croser also sits on the board of Safc, and is.a feature film representative on Spa.s council.
Fellow Hedone principal Sandy Cameron (The Infinite Man, Boys in the Trees, Sam Klemke's Time Machine) will also produce Hedone's slate at Kojo and continue to work as a freelance screenwriter.
Kojo CEO Dale Roberts said this was an important step in the expansion of Kojo.s development and production strategy.
.I am excited to have Kate Croser...
Kojo has announced plans to team with Hedone Productions to create a new film and television production business under the Kojo Entertainment brand.
Hedone producer Kate Croser will join Kojo as head of production and development, bringing Hedone.s existing slate of projects over to Kojo..
Croser.s credits include The Infinite Man; Sbs comedy series Danger 5; ABC doco Michelle.s Story, and My Tehran for Sale. Croser also sits on the board of Safc, and is.a feature film representative on Spa.s council.
Fellow Hedone principal Sandy Cameron (The Infinite Man, Boys in the Trees, Sam Klemke's Time Machine) will also produce Hedone's slate at Kojo and continue to work as a freelance screenwriter.
Kojo CEO Dale Roberts said this was an important step in the expansion of Kojo.s development and production strategy.
.I am excited to have Kate Croser...
- 11/10/2016
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
Kate Croser. Producer Kate Croser has been appointed to the South Australian Film Corporation (Safc) board.
Croser.s first feature film, Granaz Moussavi.s My Tehran For Sale, was the winner of the 2009 If Independent Spirit Award.
In 2010, Croser was the recipient of Screen Australia.s inaugural producer internship at Film4, and went on to produce Anthony Maras. The Palace, the winner of the 2012 Aacta award for Best Short Film.
In television, Croser produced two seasons of Danger 5 for Sbs, nominated for Aacta Best TV Comedy for each season.
Along with Sandy Cameron, Croser founded Hedone Productions in 2012. Hedone produced The Infinite Man, the feature film debut of writer/director Hugh Sullivan. Croser also produced the documentary film Michelle.s Story with writer/director Meryl Tankard, winner of the Audience Award at the 2015 Adelaide Film Festival. Most recently, Croser co-produced Mushroom's.Boys in the Trees, the first feature film from writer-director Nicholas Verso.
Croser.s first feature film, Granaz Moussavi.s My Tehran For Sale, was the winner of the 2009 If Independent Spirit Award.
In 2010, Croser was the recipient of Screen Australia.s inaugural producer internship at Film4, and went on to produce Anthony Maras. The Palace, the winner of the 2012 Aacta award for Best Short Film.
In television, Croser produced two seasons of Danger 5 for Sbs, nominated for Aacta Best TV Comedy for each season.
Along with Sandy Cameron, Croser founded Hedone Productions in 2012. Hedone produced The Infinite Man, the feature film debut of writer/director Hugh Sullivan. Croser also produced the documentary film Michelle.s Story with writer/director Meryl Tankard, winner of the Audience Award at the 2015 Adelaide Film Festival. Most recently, Croser co-produced Mushroom's.Boys in the Trees, the first feature film from writer-director Nicholas Verso.
- 9/29/2016
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
In the political discourse, when a country addresses another, whether in positive or negative terms, such statements often fail to differentiate between said country’s government and its people, between the government’s policies and the people’s unheard sentiment towards these.
While useful in the theoretical realm in which politics take place, these generalizations create a distorted image of the foreign nation fed by assumptions and dangerously insensitive stereotypes. It’s much easier for rulers to justify their actions if the adversary is made out to look like an irredeemable villain. Sensationalism and ignorance are weapons far more destructive than missiles, because once the smoke dissipates hatred remains.
On that note, it should be clear that the Iranian people are not the Iranian government. Their rich cultural history is not reflected in the actions of those in power, but in the prevailing elegance and allure of their artwork. Remarkable poets, musicians, painters, and, what we are mostly concerned with here, filmmakers.
The history of Iranian cinema is vast and has survived the many transitions and troubling periods the country has experienced. Even more impressive is the fact that as masterfully as Iranian filmmakers and actors understand the medium, they have never watered down their individuality for the sake of mainstream international success. Instead, they’ve managed to create their unique cinematic language that aligns with their idiosyncrasies and that is not silenced despite the hardships they face, but finds a way around censorship or defies it altogether.
Certainly not a definitive list, the following collection of films aims to be an introduction to the compelling and diverse voices within this captivating national cinema and to encourage you to seek out other films in the future. There are films here that are concerned with rural and working class lifestyles, others that focus on the traditions of ethnic minorities, those that deal with the modern middle class, and also several works denouncing the country’s political situation and the oppression that comes with it.
There are also some films that are note worthy even if they don’t easily fit within the parameters of what an Iranian film is.
Special Mentions:
-Iranian-American director Ana Lily Amirpour and her outstanding Farsi-language debut “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night,” a visually striking vampire story set in a fictional Iranian town.
-American filmmaker Till Schauder and his documentary “The Iran Job,” which follows Kevin Sheppard, an American professional basketball player in Iran, and uses his experience to build cultural bridges between the two countries.
-Farhadi’s “The Past,” which though is not precisely an Iranian story, continues to show the director’s specific talent for greatly written, puzzling narratives both in his home country and abroad.
-Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud's “Chicken with Plums,” a gorgeously whimsical and darkly comedic love story set in pre-revolutionary Tehran starring Mathieu Amalric.
Lastly, in honor of Nowruz or Persian New Year, which is a peaceful celebration of renewal and rebirth that takes place from March 20-24 in Iran and Iranian communities around the world, let’s remember the deeply moving and wise words that Asghar Farhadi gifted us during his acceptance speech on Oscar night a few years back. No one could have said it better than him.
“At this time many Iranians all over the world are watching us, and I imagine them to be very happy. They are happy not just because of an important award, or a film, or a filmmaker, but because at a time in which talk of war, intimidation, and aggression is exchanged between politicians, the name of their country, Iran, is spoken here through her glorious culture, a rich and ancient culture that has been hidden under the heavy dust of politics. I proudly offer this award to the people of my country, a people that respect all cultures and civilizations and despise hostility and resentment. Thank you so much.” –Director Asghar Farhadi after winning the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award for “A Separation” on February 26, 2012
1. "About Elly" (2009)
Dir. Asghar Farhadi
In Farhadi's tense psychological drama a casual trip to the sea evolves into a subtly plotted mystery. The director's depiction of the Iranian middle class in such a fascinatingly unexpected story connected with both local and international audiences earning him awards at home and abroad, among them Berlin's Silver Bear.
*The Cinema Guild will release the film theatrically on April 17, 2015
2. "Baran" (2001)
Dir. Majid Majidi
Taking a look at the diverse ethnic groups that coexist in Iran, the film follows a love story between a man and a young Afghan woman who must pretend to be a man in order to work. Eliciting truly naturalistic performance from his cast Majidi gives voice to his almost silent protagonist, a woman caught up in a system designed by men.
*Available on Netflix Instant Watch
3. "Children of Heaven" (1997)
Dir. Majid Majidi
Iran's first ever Academy Award nominated film is also Majidi's most renowned work. Innocence permeates this sweet story about two siblings from a working class family trying to find a pair of missing shoes. Their adventure delivers valuable life lessons that are at once heartwarming and profound. Unquestionably a classic.
*Available on Netflix Instant Watch and on DVD from Lionsgate
4. "Closed Curtain" (2013)
Dir. Jafar Panahi & Kambuzia Partovi
In this enigmatic observation on repression and surveillance an anonymous screenwriter, played by co-director Kambuzia Partovi, hides with his dog in a secluded location. Eventually, as other surprising characters appear, the film becomes a complex dance between reality and fabrication. Both filmmakers had their passports confiscated by the Iranian government due to the subversive content of the film.
*Available on Amazon Instant Video
5. "Close-Up" (1990)
Dir. Abbas Kiarostami
In one of the greatest examples of reality and fiction blending in almost seamless ways, Abbas Kiarostami's masterwork poses complex questions about identity. When a film buff impersonates his favorite director, who happens to Mohsen Makhmalbaf , a series of events unravel as he plans his next, fake, film. Surreally enough the film is based on a true story and stars the actual people involved. It's all brilliantly meta.
*Available on Blu-ray & DVD from Criterion
6. "The Color of Paradise" (1999)
Dir. Majid Majidi
Though rejected by his father, a young blind boy rejoices in nature’s beauty and tries to understand the meaning of his struggles with the help of a mentor with the same condition. Showcasing Iran’s visually stunning rural landscapes and delicately embedding with philosophical concerns, Majidi’s poetic film delivers wisdom in wondrously unassuming ways.
*Available on DVD from Sony Pictures Classics
7. "The Cow" (1969)
Dir. Dariush Mehrjui
Considered a turning point in the nation’s cinematic history, this black-and-white work revolves around a man’s devotion for his cow and how its disappearance drives him into madness. While seemingly simple in its conception, Mehrjui manages to compellingly highlight the country’s traditional lifestyles.
*Available on DVD from First Run Features
8. "Fireworks Wednesday" (2006)
Dir. Asghar Farhadi
Intimate conflicts in the Iranian middle class are Farhadi’s expertise and this domestic drama, set fittingly during the celebrations prior to the Persian New Year, is no exception. When a soon-to-be bride in need of money for her wedding gets a job cleaning a family’s house, their secrets begin to unravel through their interaction and confrontations.
*Available on DVD from Facets
9. "Gabbeh" (1996)
Dir. Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Taking its name from a type of Persian carpet, this stunningly evocative fable is adorned with mysticism and magical realist elements that shine through its colorful visual palette. Gabbeh, a young nomadic woman who is likely the incarnation of one of these traditional rugs, falls in love with horseman, but her community follows beliefs that hinder her desire.
*Available on DVD from New Yorker Video
10. "The Green Wave" (2010)
Dir. Ali Samadi Ahadi
Told through striking animated sequences, interviews and footage from the protests, this documentary constructs a bold portrait of the 2009 Green Movement following Ahmadinejad’s reelection. The regime's strong grip over its citizens is exposed, but the spirit of the Iranian people demanding change is even stronger.
*Available on DVD from Strand Releasing
11. "Hamoun" (1990)
Dir. Dariush Mehrjui
Underscored by subdued comedy and poignant dream sequences, Mehrjui’s visionary drama centers on the decaying relationship between Hamoun, a businessman with hopes of becoming a writer, and his wife Mahshid, a painter. Insanity takes over him when she decides to divorce him because of his angry outbursts. A series of drastic occurrences ensue.
*Available on DVD from First Run Features
12. "Kandahar" (2001)
Dir. Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Despite being set in Afghanistan, this Iranian production is a powerful achievement that unveils the unjust treatment of women, not only under the Taliban’s control, but also in the entire region. Nafas, an Afghan women living in Canada, decides to return to her homeland to find her depressed sister. Through this dangerous journey she discovers much more about life in the war-torn country than she expected.
*Available on DVD from New Yorker Video
13. "Leila" (1997)
Dir. Dariush Mehrjui
Starting famous Iranian actress Leila Hatami in one her earliest roles as a married woman unable to have children, this conjugal drama explores the role of women within Iranian society. Leila’s husband, Reza (played by “The Past” star Ali Mosaffa), loves her, but his mother wants him to get another wife that can give him a son. The title character is divided between her happiness and what others think is best for her marriage.
*Available on DVD from First Run Features
14. "Manuscripts Don't Burn" (2013)
Dir. Mohammad Rasoulof
Rasoulof’s brave and searing political statement was shot illegally going against the20-year-ban from filmmaking imposed on him by the Iranian government. It denounces the terrifying lack of freedom of expression via the thrilling story a pair of writers risking it all to protect an incendiary manuscript that authorities are eager to destroy.
*Available on Netflix Instant Watch and on DVD from Kino Lorber
15. "Marooned in Iraq" (2002)
Dir. Bahman Ghobadi
Highlighting the rich Kurdish culture, both in Iran and Iraq, Ghobadi’s film is set in the aftermath of the ravaging Gulf War. Marooned is an elderly man who must travel across the mountainous landscape that divides the two countries to find his ex-wife. While portraying the horrors of war in an affecting manner, the film is also a life-affirming work that finds hope in the most surprising places.
*Available on DVD from Wellspring
16. "My Tehran for Sale"
Dir. Granaz Moussavi
Devastating and current, this debut feature from renowned poet turned filmmaker Granaz Moussavi is a hard-hitting critique on the blatant criminalization of artists in Iran. An actress banned from her profession questions whether she should remain in the country or flee. Getting to safety means leaving everything she knows behind. There are no easy options for her.
*Available on DVD from Global Lens
17. "No One Knows About Persian Cats" (2009)
Dir. Bahman Ghobadi
Music as the banner of freedom is the focus of Ghobadi’s film about the underground rock scene in Tehran. Secular music is essentially forbidden, and playing in public is considered a criminal act punished with prison. Crafted between reality and fiction, this quasi-documentary takes a look at a group of young musicians desperate to express themselves through their art.
*Available on DVD from Mpi Home Video
18. "Offside" (2006)
Dir. Jafar Panahi
Attending sporting events is prohibited for women in Iran, but that doesn’t stop many of them who go as far as to dress like men to get in. Panahi’s touching and insightful film takes place during the 2006 World Cup Qualifying match between Iran and Bahrain, and follows several girls who despite being excluded cheer for their team as joyfully as any fan would.
*Available on DVD from Sony Pictures Classics
19. "Persepolis" (2007)
Dir. Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud
Nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar, this French-language marvel is based on Satrapi’s autobiographical graphic novel by the same name. With eye-popping hand-drawn animation, the film revisits the director’s childhood and teenage years in Iran during the events leading up to the Islamic Revolution. It’s a love letter to the bittersweet memories of the Iran Satrapi knew.
*Available on Blu-ray & DVD from Sony Pictures Classics
20. "A Separation" (2011)
Dir. Asghar Farhadi
Dealing with a marriage in turmoil facing the country's peculiar judicial system, Farhadi’s masterpiece is the most acclaimed film in the history of Iranian cinema and earned the country's first Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay for its enthralling thriller-like narrative that grips the audience until its unnerving conclusion. A must see!
*Available on Blu-ray & DVD from Sony Pictures Classics
21. "The Song of Sparrows" (2008)
Dir. Majid Majidi
When Karim (played by Berlin’s Silver Bear Winner Reza Naji), an ostrich farm worker, is forced to find a new job in the city to pay for his daughter’s hearing aid, Iran’s rural and urban realms collide. Thanks to the captivating grace that characterizes Majidi’s films, poverty and misfortune are observed here not with pity but with an optimistic and undefeated perspective.
*Available on DVD from E1 Entertainment
22." Taste of Cherry" (1997)
Dir. Abbas Kiarostami
This quiet and minimalist meditation on death and the simple joys of its antithesis is the first and only Iranian film to have won the coveted Palme d’Or at Cannes. Kiarostami follows a man who has decided to commit suicide and is looking for someone to help him achieve this. However, those he recruits along the way come with their own views on the meaning of our existence and attempt to persuade him to reconsider.
*Available on DVD from Criterion
23. "Ten" (2002)
Dir. Abbas Kiarostami
A female cabbie drives through the streets of Tehran picking up an array of characters that via their casual conversations shine a light on the Iranian society’s expectations of women. Constructed of ten individual scenes in which the only constant is the driver, this heavily improvised and peculiarly shot cinematic experiment is a work of fiction embedded with truth in every frame.
*Available on DVD from Zeitgeist Films
24. "This is Not a Film" (2011)
Dir. Mojtaba Mirtahmasb & Jafar Panahi
In an effort to tell his story despite being banned from filmmaking and under house arrest, filmmaker Jafar Panahi takes his frustration and ingeniously turns it into a courageous visual statement. Whether is shooting video with his cell phone or blocking an imaginary scene in his living room, his passion for storytelling is resilient even when confronting such suffocating censorship.
*Available on Netflix Instant Watch and on DVD from Palisades Tartan
25. "A Time for Drunken Horses" (2000)
Dir. Bahman Ghobadi
With the snow-covered Zagros Mountains as backdrop, Ghobadi’s debut feature tells the story of Ayoub, a young Kurdish boy who must provide for his siblings after their mother’s death. Added to the already difficult circumstances, his handicapped brother desperately needs a surgery. This pushes the heroic kid to persevere against all odds in the hostile environment.
*Available on Netflix Instant Watch and on DVD from Kino Lorber
26. "Turtles Can Fly" (2004)
Dir. Bahman Ghobadi
Commanding a cast made almost entirely of children Ghobadi sets his film in an Iraqi Kurdish refugee camp just before the American occupation of 2003. Making a living by clearing the hazardous minefields that surround them, a group of orphan children create a small community to survive. The atrocities of war are ever-present, but like in most of the director’s works, the triumph of the human spirit is at the film's core.
*Available on Amazon Instant Video
27. "The White Balloon" (1995)
Dir. Jafar Panahi
Written by Kiarostami and directed by Panahi this is another film set during the important Persian New Year celebrations. It centers on a little girl trying to convince her parents to buy her a goldfish and who gets in a couple mishaps along the way. With utmost innocence, the seemingly simple premise manages to be a charming delight that showcases family values and ancient virtues with a nice dose of humor. It’s an uplifting gem.
*Sadly the film is not curently availble in any format in the U.S. Hopefully Criterion or another distributor will fix this soon.
28. "The White Meadows" (2009)
Dir. Mohammad Rasoulof
While ethereal, almost otherworldly imagery achieved by cinematographer Ebrahim Ghafori is reason enough to see this film, Rasoulof’s poetic storytelling elevates it to even greater intellectual heights. By using a barren coastal land and its inhabitant as a metaphor for the intolerance and injustice that many of his compatriots -creative people in particular - confront everyday, the filmmaker denounces these evils through melancholic beauty.
*Available on DVD from Global Lens
29. "The Willow Tree" (2005)
Dir. Majid Majidi
A writer, who had been blinded in an accident as a child, regains his vision as a middle aged adult only to be challenged by a world that has become foreign to him. At first, his miraculous new situation appears to be an answer to a prayer, but Majidi soon shows us how vision can become a curse in this spiritual drama about fate and regret. Exquisitely shot and sporting visceral performances, the film is both heart-rending and though provoking.
*Available on DVD from New Yorker Films
30. "The Wind Will Carry Us" (1999)
Dir. Abbas Kiarostami
Taking the audience on a trip to an untainted region of Iran where tradition hasn’t yet been disrupted by modernity, the acclaimed director crafted another unforgettable experience. Sublimely executed, the film joins four journalists pretending to be engineers as they document the funerary rituals of the local Kurdish people. More than learning about them as researchers, their interactions force them to engage on a much more human level.
*Availble on Blu-ray and DVD from Cohen Media Group...
While useful in the theoretical realm in which politics take place, these generalizations create a distorted image of the foreign nation fed by assumptions and dangerously insensitive stereotypes. It’s much easier for rulers to justify their actions if the adversary is made out to look like an irredeemable villain. Sensationalism and ignorance are weapons far more destructive than missiles, because once the smoke dissipates hatred remains.
On that note, it should be clear that the Iranian people are not the Iranian government. Their rich cultural history is not reflected in the actions of those in power, but in the prevailing elegance and allure of their artwork. Remarkable poets, musicians, painters, and, what we are mostly concerned with here, filmmakers.
The history of Iranian cinema is vast and has survived the many transitions and troubling periods the country has experienced. Even more impressive is the fact that as masterfully as Iranian filmmakers and actors understand the medium, they have never watered down their individuality for the sake of mainstream international success. Instead, they’ve managed to create their unique cinematic language that aligns with their idiosyncrasies and that is not silenced despite the hardships they face, but finds a way around censorship or defies it altogether.
Certainly not a definitive list, the following collection of films aims to be an introduction to the compelling and diverse voices within this captivating national cinema and to encourage you to seek out other films in the future. There are films here that are concerned with rural and working class lifestyles, others that focus on the traditions of ethnic minorities, those that deal with the modern middle class, and also several works denouncing the country’s political situation and the oppression that comes with it.
There are also some films that are note worthy even if they don’t easily fit within the parameters of what an Iranian film is.
Special Mentions:
-Iranian-American director Ana Lily Amirpour and her outstanding Farsi-language debut “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night,” a visually striking vampire story set in a fictional Iranian town.
-American filmmaker Till Schauder and his documentary “The Iran Job,” which follows Kevin Sheppard, an American professional basketball player in Iran, and uses his experience to build cultural bridges between the two countries.
-Farhadi’s “The Past,” which though is not precisely an Iranian story, continues to show the director’s specific talent for greatly written, puzzling narratives both in his home country and abroad.
-Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud's “Chicken with Plums,” a gorgeously whimsical and darkly comedic love story set in pre-revolutionary Tehran starring Mathieu Amalric.
Lastly, in honor of Nowruz or Persian New Year, which is a peaceful celebration of renewal and rebirth that takes place from March 20-24 in Iran and Iranian communities around the world, let’s remember the deeply moving and wise words that Asghar Farhadi gifted us during his acceptance speech on Oscar night a few years back. No one could have said it better than him.
“At this time many Iranians all over the world are watching us, and I imagine them to be very happy. They are happy not just because of an important award, or a film, or a filmmaker, but because at a time in which talk of war, intimidation, and aggression is exchanged between politicians, the name of their country, Iran, is spoken here through her glorious culture, a rich and ancient culture that has been hidden under the heavy dust of politics. I proudly offer this award to the people of my country, a people that respect all cultures and civilizations and despise hostility and resentment. Thank you so much.” –Director Asghar Farhadi after winning the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award for “A Separation” on February 26, 2012
1. "About Elly" (2009)
Dir. Asghar Farhadi
In Farhadi's tense psychological drama a casual trip to the sea evolves into a subtly plotted mystery. The director's depiction of the Iranian middle class in such a fascinatingly unexpected story connected with both local and international audiences earning him awards at home and abroad, among them Berlin's Silver Bear.
*The Cinema Guild will release the film theatrically on April 17, 2015
2. "Baran" (2001)
Dir. Majid Majidi
Taking a look at the diverse ethnic groups that coexist in Iran, the film follows a love story between a man and a young Afghan woman who must pretend to be a man in order to work. Eliciting truly naturalistic performance from his cast Majidi gives voice to his almost silent protagonist, a woman caught up in a system designed by men.
*Available on Netflix Instant Watch
3. "Children of Heaven" (1997)
Dir. Majid Majidi
Iran's first ever Academy Award nominated film is also Majidi's most renowned work. Innocence permeates this sweet story about two siblings from a working class family trying to find a pair of missing shoes. Their adventure delivers valuable life lessons that are at once heartwarming and profound. Unquestionably a classic.
*Available on Netflix Instant Watch and on DVD from Lionsgate
4. "Closed Curtain" (2013)
Dir. Jafar Panahi & Kambuzia Partovi
In this enigmatic observation on repression and surveillance an anonymous screenwriter, played by co-director Kambuzia Partovi, hides with his dog in a secluded location. Eventually, as other surprising characters appear, the film becomes a complex dance between reality and fabrication. Both filmmakers had their passports confiscated by the Iranian government due to the subversive content of the film.
*Available on Amazon Instant Video
5. "Close-Up" (1990)
Dir. Abbas Kiarostami
In one of the greatest examples of reality and fiction blending in almost seamless ways, Abbas Kiarostami's masterwork poses complex questions about identity. When a film buff impersonates his favorite director, who happens to Mohsen Makhmalbaf , a series of events unravel as he plans his next, fake, film. Surreally enough the film is based on a true story and stars the actual people involved. It's all brilliantly meta.
*Available on Blu-ray & DVD from Criterion
6. "The Color of Paradise" (1999)
Dir. Majid Majidi
Though rejected by his father, a young blind boy rejoices in nature’s beauty and tries to understand the meaning of his struggles with the help of a mentor with the same condition. Showcasing Iran’s visually stunning rural landscapes and delicately embedding with philosophical concerns, Majidi’s poetic film delivers wisdom in wondrously unassuming ways.
*Available on DVD from Sony Pictures Classics
7. "The Cow" (1969)
Dir. Dariush Mehrjui
Considered a turning point in the nation’s cinematic history, this black-and-white work revolves around a man’s devotion for his cow and how its disappearance drives him into madness. While seemingly simple in its conception, Mehrjui manages to compellingly highlight the country’s traditional lifestyles.
*Available on DVD from First Run Features
8. "Fireworks Wednesday" (2006)
Dir. Asghar Farhadi
Intimate conflicts in the Iranian middle class are Farhadi’s expertise and this domestic drama, set fittingly during the celebrations prior to the Persian New Year, is no exception. When a soon-to-be bride in need of money for her wedding gets a job cleaning a family’s house, their secrets begin to unravel through their interaction and confrontations.
*Available on DVD from Facets
9. "Gabbeh" (1996)
Dir. Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Taking its name from a type of Persian carpet, this stunningly evocative fable is adorned with mysticism and magical realist elements that shine through its colorful visual palette. Gabbeh, a young nomadic woman who is likely the incarnation of one of these traditional rugs, falls in love with horseman, but her community follows beliefs that hinder her desire.
*Available on DVD from New Yorker Video
10. "The Green Wave" (2010)
Dir. Ali Samadi Ahadi
Told through striking animated sequences, interviews and footage from the protests, this documentary constructs a bold portrait of the 2009 Green Movement following Ahmadinejad’s reelection. The regime's strong grip over its citizens is exposed, but the spirit of the Iranian people demanding change is even stronger.
*Available on DVD from Strand Releasing
11. "Hamoun" (1990)
Dir. Dariush Mehrjui
Underscored by subdued comedy and poignant dream sequences, Mehrjui’s visionary drama centers on the decaying relationship between Hamoun, a businessman with hopes of becoming a writer, and his wife Mahshid, a painter. Insanity takes over him when she decides to divorce him because of his angry outbursts. A series of drastic occurrences ensue.
*Available on DVD from First Run Features
12. "Kandahar" (2001)
Dir. Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Despite being set in Afghanistan, this Iranian production is a powerful achievement that unveils the unjust treatment of women, not only under the Taliban’s control, but also in the entire region. Nafas, an Afghan women living in Canada, decides to return to her homeland to find her depressed sister. Through this dangerous journey she discovers much more about life in the war-torn country than she expected.
*Available on DVD from New Yorker Video
13. "Leila" (1997)
Dir. Dariush Mehrjui
Starting famous Iranian actress Leila Hatami in one her earliest roles as a married woman unable to have children, this conjugal drama explores the role of women within Iranian society. Leila’s husband, Reza (played by “The Past” star Ali Mosaffa), loves her, but his mother wants him to get another wife that can give him a son. The title character is divided between her happiness and what others think is best for her marriage.
*Available on DVD from First Run Features
14. "Manuscripts Don't Burn" (2013)
Dir. Mohammad Rasoulof
Rasoulof’s brave and searing political statement was shot illegally going against the20-year-ban from filmmaking imposed on him by the Iranian government. It denounces the terrifying lack of freedom of expression via the thrilling story a pair of writers risking it all to protect an incendiary manuscript that authorities are eager to destroy.
*Available on Netflix Instant Watch and on DVD from Kino Lorber
15. "Marooned in Iraq" (2002)
Dir. Bahman Ghobadi
Highlighting the rich Kurdish culture, both in Iran and Iraq, Ghobadi’s film is set in the aftermath of the ravaging Gulf War. Marooned is an elderly man who must travel across the mountainous landscape that divides the two countries to find his ex-wife. While portraying the horrors of war in an affecting manner, the film is also a life-affirming work that finds hope in the most surprising places.
*Available on DVD from Wellspring
16. "My Tehran for Sale"
Dir. Granaz Moussavi
Devastating and current, this debut feature from renowned poet turned filmmaker Granaz Moussavi is a hard-hitting critique on the blatant criminalization of artists in Iran. An actress banned from her profession questions whether she should remain in the country or flee. Getting to safety means leaving everything she knows behind. There are no easy options for her.
*Available on DVD from Global Lens
17. "No One Knows About Persian Cats" (2009)
Dir. Bahman Ghobadi
Music as the banner of freedom is the focus of Ghobadi’s film about the underground rock scene in Tehran. Secular music is essentially forbidden, and playing in public is considered a criminal act punished with prison. Crafted between reality and fiction, this quasi-documentary takes a look at a group of young musicians desperate to express themselves through their art.
*Available on DVD from Mpi Home Video
18. "Offside" (2006)
Dir. Jafar Panahi
Attending sporting events is prohibited for women in Iran, but that doesn’t stop many of them who go as far as to dress like men to get in. Panahi’s touching and insightful film takes place during the 2006 World Cup Qualifying match between Iran and Bahrain, and follows several girls who despite being excluded cheer for their team as joyfully as any fan would.
*Available on DVD from Sony Pictures Classics
19. "Persepolis" (2007)
Dir. Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud
Nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar, this French-language marvel is based on Satrapi’s autobiographical graphic novel by the same name. With eye-popping hand-drawn animation, the film revisits the director’s childhood and teenage years in Iran during the events leading up to the Islamic Revolution. It’s a love letter to the bittersweet memories of the Iran Satrapi knew.
*Available on Blu-ray & DVD from Sony Pictures Classics
20. "A Separation" (2011)
Dir. Asghar Farhadi
Dealing with a marriage in turmoil facing the country's peculiar judicial system, Farhadi’s masterpiece is the most acclaimed film in the history of Iranian cinema and earned the country's first Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay for its enthralling thriller-like narrative that grips the audience until its unnerving conclusion. A must see!
*Available on Blu-ray & DVD from Sony Pictures Classics
21. "The Song of Sparrows" (2008)
Dir. Majid Majidi
When Karim (played by Berlin’s Silver Bear Winner Reza Naji), an ostrich farm worker, is forced to find a new job in the city to pay for his daughter’s hearing aid, Iran’s rural and urban realms collide. Thanks to the captivating grace that characterizes Majidi’s films, poverty and misfortune are observed here not with pity but with an optimistic and undefeated perspective.
*Available on DVD from E1 Entertainment
22." Taste of Cherry" (1997)
Dir. Abbas Kiarostami
This quiet and minimalist meditation on death and the simple joys of its antithesis is the first and only Iranian film to have won the coveted Palme d’Or at Cannes. Kiarostami follows a man who has decided to commit suicide and is looking for someone to help him achieve this. However, those he recruits along the way come with their own views on the meaning of our existence and attempt to persuade him to reconsider.
*Available on DVD from Criterion
23. "Ten" (2002)
Dir. Abbas Kiarostami
A female cabbie drives through the streets of Tehran picking up an array of characters that via their casual conversations shine a light on the Iranian society’s expectations of women. Constructed of ten individual scenes in which the only constant is the driver, this heavily improvised and peculiarly shot cinematic experiment is a work of fiction embedded with truth in every frame.
*Available on DVD from Zeitgeist Films
24. "This is Not a Film" (2011)
Dir. Mojtaba Mirtahmasb & Jafar Panahi
In an effort to tell his story despite being banned from filmmaking and under house arrest, filmmaker Jafar Panahi takes his frustration and ingeniously turns it into a courageous visual statement. Whether is shooting video with his cell phone or blocking an imaginary scene in his living room, his passion for storytelling is resilient even when confronting such suffocating censorship.
*Available on Netflix Instant Watch and on DVD from Palisades Tartan
25. "A Time for Drunken Horses" (2000)
Dir. Bahman Ghobadi
With the snow-covered Zagros Mountains as backdrop, Ghobadi’s debut feature tells the story of Ayoub, a young Kurdish boy who must provide for his siblings after their mother’s death. Added to the already difficult circumstances, his handicapped brother desperately needs a surgery. This pushes the heroic kid to persevere against all odds in the hostile environment.
*Available on Netflix Instant Watch and on DVD from Kino Lorber
26. "Turtles Can Fly" (2004)
Dir. Bahman Ghobadi
Commanding a cast made almost entirely of children Ghobadi sets his film in an Iraqi Kurdish refugee camp just before the American occupation of 2003. Making a living by clearing the hazardous minefields that surround them, a group of orphan children create a small community to survive. The atrocities of war are ever-present, but like in most of the director’s works, the triumph of the human spirit is at the film's core.
*Available on Amazon Instant Video
27. "The White Balloon" (1995)
Dir. Jafar Panahi
Written by Kiarostami and directed by Panahi this is another film set during the important Persian New Year celebrations. It centers on a little girl trying to convince her parents to buy her a goldfish and who gets in a couple mishaps along the way. With utmost innocence, the seemingly simple premise manages to be a charming delight that showcases family values and ancient virtues with a nice dose of humor. It’s an uplifting gem.
*Sadly the film is not curently availble in any format in the U.S. Hopefully Criterion or another distributor will fix this soon.
28. "The White Meadows" (2009)
Dir. Mohammad Rasoulof
While ethereal, almost otherworldly imagery achieved by cinematographer Ebrahim Ghafori is reason enough to see this film, Rasoulof’s poetic storytelling elevates it to even greater intellectual heights. By using a barren coastal land and its inhabitant as a metaphor for the intolerance and injustice that many of his compatriots -creative people in particular - confront everyday, the filmmaker denounces these evils through melancholic beauty.
*Available on DVD from Global Lens
29. "The Willow Tree" (2005)
Dir. Majid Majidi
A writer, who had been blinded in an accident as a child, regains his vision as a middle aged adult only to be challenged by a world that has become foreign to him. At first, his miraculous new situation appears to be an answer to a prayer, but Majidi soon shows us how vision can become a curse in this spiritual drama about fate and regret. Exquisitely shot and sporting visceral performances, the film is both heart-rending and though provoking.
*Available on DVD from New Yorker Films
30. "The Wind Will Carry Us" (1999)
Dir. Abbas Kiarostami
Taking the audience on a trip to an untainted region of Iran where tradition hasn’t yet been disrupted by modernity, the acclaimed director crafted another unforgettable experience. Sublimely executed, the film joins four journalists pretending to be engineers as they document the funerary rituals of the local Kurdish people. More than learning about them as researchers, their interactions force them to engage on a much more human level.
*Availble on Blu-ray and DVD from Cohen Media Group...
- 3/23/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Several producers who have had the common experience of finding it hard to negotiate deals with increasingly risk-averse Australian distributors have taken the bold step of launching their own distribution company.
The partners in Infinite Releasing are Hedone Productions. Kate Croser and Sandy Cameron, and Jonathan Page, the executive producer of The Babadook, 100 Bloody Acres and Mary and Max.
Their first release will be Hedone.s The Infinite Man, a time-travel comedy-romance from first-time writer-director Hugh Sullivan, starring Josh McConville, Hannah Marshall and Alex Dimitriades.
Croser tells If they have been approached by five or six other producers who are interested in routing their films via Infinite Releasing. She says Page will use his contacts to negotiate home entertainment, free-tv and pay-tv deals for The Infinite Man.
The arrangement with Infinite Releasing means the production qualifies for the 40% producer offset, a vital element of the financing. The project was developed...
The partners in Infinite Releasing are Hedone Productions. Kate Croser and Sandy Cameron, and Jonathan Page, the executive producer of The Babadook, 100 Bloody Acres and Mary and Max.
Their first release will be Hedone.s The Infinite Man, a time-travel comedy-romance from first-time writer-director Hugh Sullivan, starring Josh McConville, Hannah Marshall and Alex Dimitriades.
Croser tells If they have been approached by five or six other producers who are interested in routing their films via Infinite Releasing. She says Page will use his contacts to negotiate home entertainment, free-tv and pay-tv deals for The Infinite Man.
The arrangement with Infinite Releasing means the production qualifies for the 40% producer offset, a vital element of the financing. The project was developed...
- 1/7/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
The cast of The Infinte Man (from left): Josh McConville, Hannah Marshall and Alex Dimitriades.
Principal photography ..has begun in Woomera, South Australia on time-travel comedy-romance The Infinite Man, starring Josh McConville, Hannah Marshall, and Alex Dimitriades.
The film follows unorthodox scientist Dean (McConville) and his attempts to change the past and fix his relationship with girlfriend Lana (Marshall), which.reveal him to be his own worst enemy. Dimitriades stars as Lana.s ex-boyfriend, the disgraced 1980s Olympian Terry.
The Infinite Man marks the feature film debut of writer/director Hugh Sullivan, whose short films have screened at the Palm Springs International Shortfest, Flickerfest and the Melbourne International Film Festival.
The film is being produced by Kate Croser (My Tehran For Sale, Danger 5) and Sandy Cameron while Cameron Rogers and Jonathan Page (Mary and Max, 100 Bloody Acres) are executive producing.
The Infinite Man was developed through the South Australian Film Corporation's FilmLab initiative,...
Principal photography ..has begun in Woomera, South Australia on time-travel comedy-romance The Infinite Man, starring Josh McConville, Hannah Marshall, and Alex Dimitriades.
The film follows unorthodox scientist Dean (McConville) and his attempts to change the past and fix his relationship with girlfriend Lana (Marshall), which.reveal him to be his own worst enemy. Dimitriades stars as Lana.s ex-boyfriend, the disgraced 1980s Olympian Terry.
The Infinite Man marks the feature film debut of writer/director Hugh Sullivan, whose short films have screened at the Palm Springs International Shortfest, Flickerfest and the Melbourne International Film Festival.
The film is being produced by Kate Croser (My Tehran For Sale, Danger 5) and Sandy Cameron while Cameron Rogers and Jonathan Page (Mary and Max, 100 Bloody Acres) are executive producing.
The Infinite Man was developed through the South Australian Film Corporation's FilmLab initiative,...
- 2/18/2013
- by Brendan Swift
- IF.com.au
Marzieh Vafamehr has been released from prison. The Iranian actress, who is best known internationally for starring in My Tehran for Sale, was imprisoned and sentenced to 90 lashes for her role in the Australian-produced movie earlier this year. Amnesty International's campaigns manager Hannah Harborow told Adelaide Now: "We are extremely pleased to hear that Marzieh has been released without being subjected to the cruel and degrading punishment of flogging, but the crackdown on filmmakers continues in Iran. "Marzieh seems to have been released after an appeal court reduced her imprisonment to three months and overturned the (more)...
- 10/31/2011
- by By Rebecca Davies
- Digital Spy
Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Amnesty International says an Iranian appeals court has overturned the lashing sentence against an actress who appeared in a film critical of the Islamic republic's hard-line policies.
Amnesty's website says Marzieh Vafamehr was released from prison earlier this week after her sentence of one year in prison and 90 lashes was overturned on appeal.
There was no report on Saturday on Vafamehr's case in Iranian media.
Vafamehr appeared in the Australian-backed film "My Tehran for Sale," which was shot in the Iranian capital. It tells the story of a young actress whose stage work is banned by authorities.
It premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival in 2009, but is banned in Iran.
Amnesty's website says Marzieh Vafamehr was released from prison earlier this week after her sentence of one year in prison and 90 lashes was overturned on appeal.
There was no report on Saturday on Vafamehr's case in Iranian media.
Vafamehr appeared in the Australian-backed film "My Tehran for Sale," which was shot in the Iranian capital. It tells the story of a young actress whose stage work is banned by authorities.
It premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival in 2009, but is banned in Iran.
- 10/29/2011
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Marzieh Vafamehr, who appeared in a film critical of Iran's repressive policies, has had her harsh sentence lifted
An Iranian court has overturned the lashing sentence imposed an an actor after she appeared in a film critical of the Islamic republic's repressive policies, according to Amnesty International.
Marzieh Vafamehr, who appeared with her head uncovered in the film My Tehran for Sale, was released from prison after her sentence of one year in prison and 90 lashes was overturned on appeal.
Amnesty said Vafamehr was released on Monday night, although there has been no report on her case in Iranian media.
Vafamehr, wife of the acclaimed film-maker Nasser Taghvai, was arrested in July after Iranian authorities took exception to the film about an actor whose theatre work is banned in Iran.
The film, directed by Granaz Moussavi, features Vafamehr as an actor who flees to Australia as an illegal immigrant after being persecuted in Iran.
An Iranian court has overturned the lashing sentence imposed an an actor after she appeared in a film critical of the Islamic republic's repressive policies, according to Amnesty International.
Marzieh Vafamehr, who appeared with her head uncovered in the film My Tehran for Sale, was released from prison after her sentence of one year in prison and 90 lashes was overturned on appeal.
Amnesty said Vafamehr was released on Monday night, although there has been no report on her case in Iranian media.
Vafamehr, wife of the acclaimed film-maker Nasser Taghvai, was arrested in July after Iranian authorities took exception to the film about an actor whose theatre work is banned in Iran.
The film, directed by Granaz Moussavi, features Vafamehr as an actor who flees to Australia as an illegal immigrant after being persecuted in Iran.
- 10/29/2011
- by David Batty
- The Guardian - Film News
Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Amnesty International says an Iranian appeals court has overturned the lashing sentence against an actress who appeared in a film critical of the Islamic republic's hard-line policies.
Amnesty's website says Marzieh Vafamehr was released from prison earlier this week after her sentence of one year in prison and 90 lashes was overturned on appeal.
There was no report on Saturday on Vafamehr's case in Iranian media.
Vafamehr appeared in the Australian-backed film "My Tehran for Sale," which was shot in the Iranian capital. It tells the story of a young actress whose stage work is banned by authorities.
It premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival in 2009, but is banned in Iran.
Watch the trailer for "My Tehran for Sale":...
Amnesty's website says Marzieh Vafamehr was released from prison earlier this week after her sentence of one year in prison and 90 lashes was overturned on appeal.
There was no report on Saturday on Vafamehr's case in Iranian media.
Vafamehr appeared in the Australian-backed film "My Tehran for Sale," which was shot in the Iranian capital. It tells the story of a young actress whose stage work is banned by authorities.
It premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival in 2009, but is banned in Iran.
Watch the trailer for "My Tehran for Sale":...
- 10/29/2011
- by AP
- Huffington Post
"Two decades ago everything tasted better when drizzled with the special chocolate sauce of 'postmodernism,' and Twin Peaks was the most ironic cherry pie vehicle for that addictive popular culture had yet baked up," writes Dennis Harvey in the San Francisco Bay Guardian. "It was so cool you could hardly believe it was actually being watched." Tonight, the Roxie and MIDNiTES For MANiACS present a "20th Anniversary Celebration for David Lynch's Twin Peaks" that kicks off with Otto Preminger's Laura (1944), the inspiration for Lynch and Mark Frost's series, followed by the pilot and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1922). "Plus, pie on sale all night courtesy of Three Babes Bakeshop!"
How to Be a Retronaut points us to a fine set of photos at Welcome to Twin Peaks: "When Twin Peaks' in-house photographer had quit and no further promotional shots were needed since the show was cancelled,...
How to Be a Retronaut points us to a fine set of photos at Welcome to Twin Peaks: "When Twin Peaks' in-house photographer had quit and no further promotional shots were needed since the show was cancelled,...
- 10/29/2011
- MUBI
Tehran, Oct 29: Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr, who was sentenced to 90 lashes after appearing in an Australian movie, has been released from a prison in her country, human rights group Amnesty International said.
Vafamehr was arrested in July and sentenced to a year in jail and 90 lashes for her role in Australian movie 'My Tehran for Sale', which was later banned in Iran.
The film shows Vafameher without a headscarf, while in another scene she is shown consuming alcohol.
'While the release of Marzieh Vafamehr is a welcome development, it is deeply worrying that three filmmakers are still being held in Tehran's Evin.
Vafamehr was arrested in July and sentenced to a year in jail and 90 lashes for her role in Australian movie 'My Tehran for Sale', which was later banned in Iran.
The film shows Vafameher without a headscarf, while in another scene she is shown consuming alcohol.
'While the release of Marzieh Vafamehr is a welcome development, it is deeply worrying that three filmmakers are still being held in Tehran's Evin.
- 10/29/2011
- by Abhijeet Sen
- RealBollywood.com
Marzieh Vafamehr
Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr who was arrested for her role in the Australian film My Tehran For Sale has been released from jail, according to Amnesty International.
The actress was arrested and sentenced to a year in jail and 90 lashes for a scene in the film where she didn’t wear a head covering. She was released on Monday without suffering the additional punishment of 90 lashes after her imprisonment was reduced to three months.
“As filmmakers we believe in freedom of speech and support all artists who are imprisoned and punished in Iran for expressing themselves through their art,” said My Tehran For Sale producers Kate Croser and Julie Ryan of Cyan Films in a joint statement.
The film was funded by the Adelaide Film Festival and South Australian Film Corporation, and premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival in 2009, without officially releasing in Iran.
Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr who was arrested for her role in the Australian film My Tehran For Sale has been released from jail, according to Amnesty International.
The actress was arrested and sentenced to a year in jail and 90 lashes for a scene in the film where she didn’t wear a head covering. She was released on Monday without suffering the additional punishment of 90 lashes after her imprisonment was reduced to three months.
“As filmmakers we believe in freedom of speech and support all artists who are imprisoned and punished in Iran for expressing themselves through their art,” said My Tehran For Sale producers Kate Croser and Julie Ryan of Cyan Films in a joint statement.
The film was funded by the Adelaide Film Festival and South Australian Film Corporation, and premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival in 2009, without officially releasing in Iran.
- 10/29/2011
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr has been released from jail - three months after she was taken into custody for starring in an acclaimed Australian film which has been banned in her native country.
Vafamehr was sentenced to one year behind bars and ordered to receive 90 lashes after appearing in the 2009 drama My Tehran for Sale, the storyline for which is critical of the Islamic country's hard-line policies. The actress is believed to have been punished for featuring in the film without her traditional hijab headscarf.
But the sentence was overturned by officials at an appeals court on Monday, when her jail term was reduced to the three months already served.
Human rights activists at Amnesty International have hailed the star's release, although they insist it is "deeply worrying" that other Iranian directors, including Jafar Panahi and Mehran Zinatbakhsh, were still imprisoned for speaking out against Iran's oppressive regime through the medium of film.
Last week (begs17Oct11), officials at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Directors Guild of America and the American Society of Cinematographers all joined forces to call for the immediate release of the filmmakers imprisoned in Iran.
Vafamehr was sentenced to one year behind bars and ordered to receive 90 lashes after appearing in the 2009 drama My Tehran for Sale, the storyline for which is critical of the Islamic country's hard-line policies. The actress is believed to have been punished for featuring in the film without her traditional hijab headscarf.
But the sentence was overturned by officials at an appeals court on Monday, when her jail term was reduced to the three months already served.
Human rights activists at Amnesty International have hailed the star's release, although they insist it is "deeply worrying" that other Iranian directors, including Jafar Panahi and Mehran Zinatbakhsh, were still imprisoned for speaking out against Iran's oppressive regime through the medium of film.
Last week (begs17Oct11), officials at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Directors Guild of America and the American Society of Cinematographers all joined forces to call for the immediate release of the filmmakers imprisoned in Iran.
- 10/28/2011
- WENN
Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr was released from prison Monday after her sentence was overturned by an appeals court, Amnesty International reports. Vafamehr had been sentenced to a year in prison and 90 lashes for appearing in the 2009 Australian film "My Tehran for Sale," which is banned in Iran. In the movie -- which was filmed in the Iranian capital -- Vafamehr is seen with a shaved head, and without the head covering that's required of Iranian women. In one scene, she also appears to drink alcohol -- also a no-no...
- 10/28/2011
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr, who was sentenced to a year in jail and 90 lashes for starring in the Australian production "My Tehran for Sale," has been released from prison without suffering the lashes and further imprisonment. According to Amnesty International, Cyan Films, the South Australian Film Corporation and the Adelaide Film Festival, Vafamehr was released after an appeal court reduced her imprisonment to three months and overturned the flogging ...
- 10/28/2011
- Indiewire
Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr has been released from jail, according to Amnesty International. Vafamehr was sentenced to 90 lashes and one year in jail for her role in the feature film My Tehran For Sale, sparking outrage among the local film community, which petitioned for her release. My Tehran For Sale was partially funded by the South Australian Film Corporation. Vafamehr had already served four months in jail but has now been released after her sentence was reduced to three months and no corporal punishment. Actors Equity Australia director Simon Whipp welcomed the news. .However, it is deeply disturbing that any performer could be found guilty of committing a crime and sentenced to three months in jail for appearing in a feature film," he said in a statement....
- 10/28/2011
- by Brendan Swift
- IF.com.au
Marzieh Vafamehr, the Iranian actress sentenced to one year in jail and 90 lashes for taking part in Granaz Moussavi's 2009 Australian drama My Tehran for Sale, was released on Monday night (Oct. 24). According to Amnesty International, an appeals court reduced Vafamehr's jail time to three months and overturned the flogging sentence. In My Tehran for Sale, Vafamehr is shown in one scene without the head-covering scarf. In another, she "appears to drink alcohol." Despite the good news regarding Vafamehr, Iran's filmmakers continue to be persecuted by that country's rabid Islamic regime. On September 17, documentary directors Hadi Afarideh, Naser Saffarian, Mohsen Shahrnazdar, and producer and distributor Katayoun Shahabi were arrested for having allegedly sold their films to several broadcasters, including the BBC. As per Amnesty International, the first three were released on bail, but Shahabi remains in custody. Amnesty adds that director Mehran Zinatbakhsh "is also believed to have been arrested...
- 10/27/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Hollywood's most powerful organizations released a joint statement today calling for the release of six Iranian filmmakers including director Jafar Panahi and actor Marzieh Vafamehr. Lauded as one of Iran's greatest living filmmakers, Panahi is serving a six-year jail sentence under house arrest and is banned for making any films for 20 years. He recently appeared in the critically acclaimed pseudo-documentary "This Is Not A Film" which screened at the Cannes, Toronto and New York Film Festivals. Vahamehr is an actress who was given a year in jail and 90 lashes for appearing in the 2009 film "My Tehran For Sale" (her...
- 10/19/2011
- Hitfix
Somehow this slipped past us this weekend, but Iran has taken another step toward silencing one of the country’s most important filmmakers after an appeals court upheld a six-year jail sentence, according to various reports that included the government-run newspaper Iran. According to that newspaper: “The charges he was sentenced for are acting against national security and propaganda against the regime.” His colleague Mohammad Rasoulof also faced a six-year sentence, and that was knocked down to one year. Panahi’s sentence includes a 20-year ban on making films, and traveling abroad. The convictions against Jafar Panahi and Rasoulof prompted an outcry among filmmakers, Amnesty International and international film festivals this year. Panahi’s lawyers reportedly will appeal again, but things are looking dire for an award-winning filmmaker who publicly mourned the deaths of protesters in the presidential elections, and reports say he and Rasoulof reportedly made a film about the aftermath.
- 10/17/2011
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
The Viennale posted its full program last night. Besides this year's festival standards (Kaurismäki's Le Havre, Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method and so on), there'll be a Chantal Akerman retrospective, a strand devoted to new work by Jean-Marie Straub, another to Sasha Pirker, and another to Lee Anne Schmitt, a focus on Austrian silent films of the 1920s, another on Reinhard Kahn and Michel Leiner, tributes to Soi Cheang, producer Jeremy Thomas and Harry Belafonte, and Ulrich Seidl will screen a work-in-progress.
In A Short History of Cahiers du Cinéma (2009), Emilie Bickerton "restates the main polemical point" of her essay that originally appeared in the New Left Review in 2006, namely, as Bill Krohn puts it at Kino Slang, "that the Cahiers is dead as a doornail… As someone who has been writing for the Cahiers during the thirty-year period that Bickerton judges to have been one of steep decline, I'd better...
In A Short History of Cahiers du Cinéma (2009), Emilie Bickerton "restates the main polemical point" of her essay that originally appeared in the New Left Review in 2006, namely, as Bill Krohn puts it at Kino Slang, "that the Cahiers is dead as a doornail… As someone who has been writing for the Cahiers during the thirty-year period that Bickerton judges to have been one of steep decline, I'd better...
- 10/13/2011
- MUBI
A number of Australian filmmakers have revealed that they are "appalled" at the recent sentencing given to an Iranian actress for her role in a movie. The company behind Australian-produced My Tehran for Sale, which tells the story of Iran's harsh rulings on the arts, said it is "deeply shocked" that the film's leading actress Marzieh Vafamehr will face a year in jail and 90 lashes as a punishment. Executives told The ABC: "Adelaide-based company Cyan Films worked with an established Iranian production company to produce the film and all proper government permits were obtained for filming." Producers Julie Ryan and Kate Croser said: "The producers would like to emphasise that Marzieh's involvement in the film was limited to her role as an actress and she was not in any other way involved in the behind-the-scenes filmmaking. (more)...
- 10/12/2011
- by By Rebecca Davies
- Digital Spy
World Movies will screen Australian-Iranian co-production My Tehran For Sale in the wake of lead actress Marzieh Vafamehr’s incarceration in Iran.
In a case of life imitating art for Vafamehr, My Tehran for Sale, is the story of a young actress in Iran whose theatre work is banned by authorities and forced to lead a secret life to express her art. Vafamehr has received one year in jail and 90 lashes by the Irani regime.
The film, in part funded by the South Australian Film Corporation for the Adelaide Film Festival in 2009, and produced by Cyan Films’ Julie Ryan and Kate Croser as well as writer/director Granaz Moussavi, was not officially released in Iran, however, it was seen by authorities via distribution through the black market.
Moussavi, who emigrated from Iran in the 1990s, returned to her native country to film the picture. Moussavi told ABC’s 7.30 Report: “I...
In a case of life imitating art for Vafamehr, My Tehran for Sale, is the story of a young actress in Iran whose theatre work is banned by authorities and forced to lead a secret life to express her art. Vafamehr has received one year in jail and 90 lashes by the Irani regime.
The film, in part funded by the South Australian Film Corporation for the Adelaide Film Festival in 2009, and produced by Cyan Films’ Julie Ryan and Kate Croser as well as writer/director Granaz Moussavi, was not officially released in Iran, however, it was seen by authorities via distribution through the black market.
Moussavi, who emigrated from Iran in the 1990s, returned to her native country to film the picture. Moussavi told ABC’s 7.30 Report: “I...
- 10/12/2011
- by Colin Delaney
- Encore Magazine
An Iranian actress has been sentenced to 90 lashes and a year in jail for starring in an Australian movie with a shaved head -- and no head-covering. Marzieh Vafamehr, who appeared in "My Tehran for Sale," has appealed the sentence. According to Amnesty International, Vafamehr also appears to drink alcohol in the movie. Consuming alcohol is banned under Iranian law. The penalty is 80 lashes -- for the first offense. The Australian movie, oddly enough, is about an actress in Iran who is forced to live a secret life in order to...
- 10/12/2011
- by Joshua L. Weinstein
- The Wrap
Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr has been sentenced to 90 lashes for her role in the 2009 Australian film My Tehran for Sale. The actress, who was arrested in July and sentenced by the court this past weekend, appeared in the movie without a headscarf on and a shaved head, and the story involved both drug use and an observation of Iran's oppressive ways.
In a cruel twist of irony, Vafamehr played the lead in the film, also named Marzieh, an actress in Tehran whose theatre work is banned by the government, forcing her to lead a secret life in order to pursue her passions. One night she meets a fellow Iranian named Saman who now resides in Australia and offers her a chance to also escape the everyday fears of being who you want to be that come with living there.
Continue reading for more and to see a trailer for My Tehran for Sale.
In a cruel twist of irony, Vafamehr played the lead in the film, also named Marzieh, an actress in Tehran whose theatre work is banned by the government, forcing her to lead a secret life in order to pursue her passions. One night she meets a fellow Iranian named Saman who now resides in Australia and offers her a chance to also escape the everyday fears of being who you want to be that come with living there.
Continue reading for more and to see a trailer for My Tehran for Sale.
- 10/11/2011
- by The Movie God
- Geeks of Doom
Marzieh Vafamehr also given one-year jail term for appearing in My Tehran for Sale with a shaved head and without a hijab
For one Iranian actor, life is mirroring art, in the most gruesome of ways. Two years ago Marzieh Vafamehr starred in a film about an actor whose theatre work is banned in Iran.
Now she faces a year in prison and 90 lashes after Iranian officials took exception to the film, which is itself banned inside the country.
Her crime? Appearing in an Australian film which is critical of the Islamic regime with her head uncovered.
Vafamehr, wife of the acclaimed film-maker Nasser Taghvai, was arrested in July after starring in My Tehran for Sale, which touches on many of the taboo issues of modern life in Iran.
"A sentence of one year in jail and 90 lashes has been issued for Marzieh Vafamehr," said a report published on Kaleme.
For one Iranian actor, life is mirroring art, in the most gruesome of ways. Two years ago Marzieh Vafamehr starred in a film about an actor whose theatre work is banned in Iran.
Now she faces a year in prison and 90 lashes after Iranian officials took exception to the film, which is itself banned inside the country.
Her crime? Appearing in an Australian film which is critical of the Islamic regime with her head uncovered.
Vafamehr, wife of the acclaimed film-maker Nasser Taghvai, was arrested in July after starring in My Tehran for Sale, which touches on many of the taboo issues of modern life in Iran.
"A sentence of one year in jail and 90 lashes has been issued for Marzieh Vafamehr," said a report published on Kaleme.
- 10/11/2011
- by Saeed Kamali Dehghan
- The Guardian - Film News
Australian filmmakers have offered their support to Iranian actress, Marzieh Vafamehr, who has been sentenced to one year in prison and ninety lashes for her role in the film My Tehran for Sale. The charges against Vafamehr, who was originally arrested in July of this year, remain unclear but the film.s Australian producers, Julie Ryan and Kate Croser of Cyan Films, believe they relate to scenes in which the actress appears with a shaved head and no headscarf. My Tehran for Sale, which won the 2009 If Independent Spirit Award, tells the story of Marzieh (Vafamehr), an actress struggling under her country's controls over artistic expression. The government has banned her work, and her romance with an Iranian-Australian expat (Amir Chegini) leads her to consider life outside...
- 10/11/2011
- by Danii Logue
- IF.com.au
The Australian filmmakers and investors behind My Tehran For Sale are deeply shocked and appalled at the news of Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr's sentence over the weekend. The actress was sentenced to a year in prison and 90 lashes for her role in the South Australian-produced movie critical of the Islamic republic's hard-line policies. The film, which was shot on location in Tehran in 2008, sees Vafamehr (a real life friend of director Granaz Moussavi) play a stage actress struggling to reconcile her love for her country with her desire for cultural freedom. After meeting an Iranian man with Australian citizenship, she begins planning to escape - first by orderly means and then via ways that see her in detention.
- 10/11/2011
- FilmInk.com.au
Surprise, Surprise: In a rare, work-in-progress "secret screening" last night, the New York Film Festival debuted Hugo, Martin Scorsese's 3D children's film (pictured above, not in true 3D). The director introduced the screening; audience reaction was evidently favorable; the film will be released to the general public on November 23. Movies was in attendance, and you can check out our initial reaction here. Iranian Actress Sentenced: Opposition website Kalameh.com reports that actress Marzieh Vafamehr has been sentenced to one year in prison and 90 lashes for appearing without a hijab headscarf in My Tehran for Sale, a film critical of Iran's policies. (AP via CBS News) Theaters Strike Back: Open rebellion by exhibitors continues against...
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- 10/11/2011
- by Peter Martin
- Movies.com
Marzieh Vafamehr will also be jailed for starring in controversial film.
In a continuation of their crackdown on perceived dissident filmmakers, the Iranian courts have sentenced actress Marzieh Vafamehr to 90 lashes and a year in prison for starring in a film about censorship. Vafamehr, who is married to director Nasser Taghvai, has been condemned in part because she appeared in one scene without wearing a hijab.
The film, My Tehran For Sale, was made by an Australian company but included filming done in the Iranian capital. It explores issues relating to Iran's censorship...
In a continuation of their crackdown on perceived dissident filmmakers, the Iranian courts have sentenced actress Marzieh Vafamehr to 90 lashes and a year in prison for starring in a film about censorship. Vafamehr, who is married to director Nasser Taghvai, has been condemned in part because she appeared in one scene without wearing a hijab.
The film, My Tehran For Sale, was made by an Australian company but included filming done in the Iranian capital. It explores issues relating to Iran's censorship...
- 10/11/2011
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
An Iranian actress has been sentenced to 90 lashes and a year in prison for appearing in an Australian film showing her not wearing a headscarf. Marziah Vafamehr, star of 2009 film My Tehran For Sale, was imprisoned in July. Her sentence has been revealed by Iranian opposition website Kalameh.com. Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said the Australian government was “deeply concerned” about Vafamehr’s arrest. Cyan Films, the South Australia-based production company which made the award-winning film, said it was “deeply shocked and appalled” by her sentence. Ironically, My Tehran For Sale follows an actress who finds herself banned from working on stage by the Iranian authorities. The film shows Iranian young people going to underground raves, smoking hashish and having sex before marriage – behaving, in short, like most young people around the world do. The producers have said the film was never intended for distribution within Iran, and its...
- 10/11/2011
- by TIM ADLER in London
- Deadline London
An Iranian actress has been sentenced to a year in jail and 90 cane lashes for her role in an Australian-produced movie. Marzieh Vafamehr appeared in 2009 film My Tehran For Sale. The movie, which told the story of an Iranian actress who is forbidden from stage performing by the authorities, was later banned in Tehran. However, Vafamehr was arrested in July this year along with an Iranian filmmaker when black market copies of the movie began circulating around the capital city. My Tehran for Sale premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival two years ago. The event director Katrina Sedgwick told The ABC: "There is always somewhat of a risk for filmmakers in that country when they're exploring ideas that are complex and even quite subtly political. (more)...
- 10/11/2011
- by By Rebecca Davies
- Digital Spy
Over the weekend, Iran released two of the six filmmakers arrested for suspicion of working for the BBC--and sentenced Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr to a year in jail and 90 lashes for starring in the Australian production "My Tehran for Sale," which premiered at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. Directed by Granaz Moussavi and shot entirely in Tehran, "My Tehran for Sale," stars Vafamehr as a stage actress who ...
- 10/10/2011
- Indiewire
"Honestly, I'm fed up with this ‘exotic' image of Iran in many films," Granaz Moussavi tells Filmink about the motivations behind her debut feature, My Tehran For Sale. "It's not that Iranian films aren't good but the majority usually show that exotic aspect of Iranian life, or are about marginal ethnicities from rural areas. It's rare to see stories about the contemporary urban side of life in Iran and I wanted to make a film about this." Shot on the sly in the streets of Iran, Moussavi's film reveals another side to Tehran - an achingly beautiful place with a vibrant middle-class urban culture where young people secretly listen to rock music, attend underground raves and silently rebel.
- 4/21/2010
- FilmInk.com.au
Principal photography has just been completed on Jim Loach’s debut feature Oranges and Sunshine starring Emily Watson, Hugo Weaving and David Wenham. The film follows the story of a social worker from Nottingham who uncovers a scandal involving the organised deportation of children in care from the UK to Australia. - Australian Film Scene – Local Principal photography has just been completed on Jim Loach’s debut feature Oranges and Sunshine starring Emily Watson, Hugo Weaving and David Wenham. The film follows the story of a social worker from Nottingham who uncovers a scandal involving the organised deportation of children in care from the UK to Australia. Troy Nixey’s Don’t be Afraid of the Dark is currently in post-production - the pic was shot in Victoria. Produced by Guillermo Del Toro of Pan’s Labyrinth fame, the feature follows the story of a...
- 3/4/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
Australian films are making a big international impact this week with the most recent announcement that both Sean Byrne's The Loved Ones and Rachel Ward's directorial debut Beautiful Kate will be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) in September. They join Jane Campion's Bright Star, The Spierig Brothers' Daybreakers, Glendyn Ivin's Last Ride, Bruce Beresford's Mao's Last Dancer, Granaz Moussavi's My Tehran For Sale, Sarah Watt's My Year Without Sex and Warwick Thornton's Cannes-winning Samson & Delilah in the program of the world renowned non-competitive film festival, which is renowned for attracting major players from film distribution, mixing it up with Toronto locals.
- 7/24/2009
- FilmInk.com.au
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