Film Forum

Alireza Khatami (Co-Writer & Co-Director) is an award-winning Iranian-American filmmaker based in Canada. Born into the indigenous Khamse tribe in Iran, he is influenced by his heritage's rich storytelling traditions. His films poignantly investigate the interconnection of memory, trauma, and power dynamics, often through a philosophical lens and with a dark sense of humor. He has worked with esteemed filmmakers such as Asghar Farhadi. His debut feature, OBLIVION VERSES developed at the Cinéfondation Residency of the Festival de Cannes, premiered at the Venice Film Festival, winning three awards, including the Orizzonti Award for Best Screenplay and the FIPRESCI Prize. Alireza also co-wrote UNTIL TOMORROW, which premiered at the Berlinale Film Festival. He is currently working on an auto-fictional psychological thriller in Turkey.

Jamsheed Akrami is a scholar of Iranian cinema and a film professor at William Paterson University, where he teaches Film as a Medium, Film as Crosscultural Communication, and Film and Civic Engagement. He was also a visiting professor of film at Columbia University for several years. A former editor of Iranian film magazines, he has published extensively, presented numerous lectures, curated film series, and produced a number of films, including the feature-length documentaries THE LOST CINEMA, on political filmmaking under the Shah, and FRIENDLY PERSUASION, on Iranian cinema after the 1979 revolution. The films were screened in international film festivals and enjoyed theatrical runs and television screenings in US and Canada. A CINEMA OF DISCONTENT completes Jamsheed Akrami’s trilogy on Iranian cinema.

Supported by a Humanities New York Action Grant

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