[LOS ANGELES]
23rd Annual UCLA Celebration of Iranian Cinema
UCLA Film & Television Archive and Farhang Foundation will join forces once 
again to celebrate Iranian cinema, marking the third year of collaboration between the two organizations in honor of the cinematic contributions of Iranian filmmakers and artists. The UCLA Celebration of Iranian Cinema, now in its 23rd year, will take place until Sunday, April 28, 2013 at the Billy Wilder Theater, located at 10899 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90024.
Until April 28 in Westwood, visit www.cinema.ucla.edu or www.farhang.org for information.
[PENNSYLVANIA]
The Works of MohammadrezaMirzaei
Amistad Gallery is pleased to present “What I Don’t Have”, a series 
of photographs by MohammadrezaMirzaei created during his residency in Lugo, Italy in December 2012. MohammadrezaMirzaei is an MFA candidate at University of Pennsylvania.
Mirzaei is a photographer and writer, whose work has been featured in multiple solo and group exhibitions, including BienalFotográfica Bogotá 2011. He is founder and editor of Dide Magazine, an online publication dedicated to contemporary Iranian photography.
“What I Don’t Have” will be on view from March 15th – September 15.
[DUBAI]
‘Wrong Women’ Exhibit
Ayyam Gallery DIFC, Dubai, is pleased to announce a 
solo exhibition of Iranian artist AfshinPirhashemi, who will present “The Wrong Women”, a series of 12 new paintings.
Pirhashemi is fascinated by the role of women in contemporary Iranian society, and their relationships with the world around them. His monochrome paintings are dominated by female figures swathed in black, veiled and glamorously-attired. The women he depicts are far from submissive; they are independent, confident, and sexually aware, seemingly defying the conservative dress and values of Iranian society.
Born in 1974 in Urmia, AfshinPirhashemi lives and works in the Tehran. His works are housed in public and private collections throughout the Middle East and Europe.
On display until April 25 at Ayyam Gallery DIFC, Gate Village, Building 3, Dubai.www.ayyamgallery.com
[PORTUGAL]
World Press Cartoon Contest
Iranian graphic designer and cartoonist SaeedSadeqi’s 
creation has garnered first award of Gag Cartoon category at the World Press Cartoon contest in Portugal.
Sadeqi’s work titled Low Economy picked up the prize during an award ceremony at the Olga Cadaval Cultural Center in Sintra, Portugal.
The winners’ works along with the selected pieces from among the entries have been displayed in an exhibition mounted in the Olga Cadaval Cultural Center.
The exhibition will run until June 30, 2013.
[LOS ANGELES]
The Cyrus Cylinder in Los Angeles
For the first time in history, the Cyrus Cylinder, one 
of the ancient world’s most celebrated artifacts of freedom and human rights, is being brought to the United States for exhibition.
Housed at the British Museum in London, the Cyrus Cylinder will travel to five major U.S. cities in 2013, in a tour supported by the Iran Heritage Foundation.
The Cyrus Cylinder will be accompanied in this exhibition by sixteen objects under the title “The Cyrus Cylinder in Ancient Persia.” The exhibition shows the innovations initiated by Persian rule in the Ancient Near East (550 BC-331 BC), when the Persian Empire was then the largest the world had known.
The tour debuted at the Smithsonian’s Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington D.C. in March before traveling to the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. It will also be on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, concluding its journey with an eight week stay at the J. Paul Getty Museum at The Getty Villa in Los Angeles from October 2 – December 2, 2013.
Farhang Foundation is proud to be the financial sponsor and community organization working with the Getty Museum to ensure the success of the Cyrus Cylinder tour in its last and most anticipated stop, Los Angeles, home to the largest Iranian community outside Iran.
[TEHRAN]
Folk Theater Performer Dies
Veteran Iranian stage artist of Persian folk play 
Sa’adiAfshar has passed away at his home in Tehran at the age of 79 after lifelong career in this traditional art.
Afshar who was suffering from a lung infection and osteoporosis for a long time, finally died on Friday, April 19, 2013. He was master of Iranian folk dramatic performing art known as SiahBazi which is similar to Commedia dell’arte.
In SiahBazi performance, the actor appears in a blackfaced harlequin who stirs the audience to laughter with amusing improvisations.
Afshar performed numerous shows in Iran and many other countries to introduce this traditional genre of comic play.