LOS ANGELES
Noor Film Festival
The Noor Iranian Film Festival, a festival that promotes Iranian culture through cinema, took place in Los Angeles October 17-22 screening films in several categories that have an Iranian subject or filmmakers.
Judges included Mahnaz Afshar and Catherine Dent, and on October 22, actor Shaun Toub was presented with the 2014 Reza Badiyi Achievement Award.
The winners are:
• Best Animation:The Hard Dream (Behrouz Bagheri)
• Best Short Film: More Than Two Hours (directed by Ali Asgari)
• Best Short Film Director: Ethan Rains for Still Here
• Best Documentary: Out of Iran (Directed by Farid Haerinejad)
• Best Documentary Director: Ayat Najafi for No Land’s Song
• Best Feature Film: When The LemonsTurned Yellow (directed by Mohammadreza Vatandoust
• Best Film Director: Desiree Akhavan for Appropriate Behavior
• Audience Award: Nowruz: Lost & Found (Directed by K-von Moezzi)
SCOTLAND
Edinburgh Iranian Festival: Call for Musicians
Edinburgh Iranian Festival, through an open selection, will identify an Iranian or non-Iranian music group to perform at the Music Concert due to be held on February 7 2015 at the Grand Gallery of the National Museum of Scotland. The festival aims to organize a colorful night and unique opportunity for young and/or experienced musicians to perform in the cultural capital of Scotland, Edinburgh. This concert will accompany a fashion show, in which 7 fashion designers will showcase their work, all inspired by Iran, through a catwalk.
The call for musicians is now open. For more information, please see http://www.ediranfest.co.uk/ where you can download the Registration Form and the Guidelines.
QATAR
Shirin Neshat : Afterwards
The first solo exhibition in the region of the Iranian artist Shirin Neshat. The exhibition introduces a group of new and existing works along with interventions including the photographic series, The Book of Kings (2011), Our House is on Fire (2013) as well as the video installation, Turbulent (1998) that build relationships between ancient mythologies and contemporary events that are challenging our lives.
The work of Shirin Neshat explores the relationship between ancient history and the politics of the present narrated through a strong visual language referencing the primal concepts of violence, passion and love in universal history. The artist proposes a different perspective on this collective history, using images that reflect the paradox of beauty and violence.
November 9, 2014 @ 8:00 am – February 15, 2015 @ 5:00 pm
LOS ANGELES
Seventh Annual Farhang Film Festival
The 2015 Farhang Foundation Short Film Festival has officially been announced.
Calling on individuals from all backgrounds and walks of life to submit short films visualizing some aspect of Iranian art, culture, and heritage, Farhang Foundation’s annual online short film festival offers contestants the opportunity to compete for $10,000 (first prize), $5,000 (second prize), and $3,000 (third prize).
“Since our first festival, we have been honored to have presented close to $100,000 in cash prizes to talented filmmakers with a passion for Iranian culture. But what they give back to us through their films and stories is truly priceless,” said Mark Amin, Farhang’s Film Festival committee Chair, and Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees. “We are thrilled to be hosting this festival for the seventh year in a row and look forward to the many wonderful submissions we will soon be receiving.”
The submissions period opens on October 15, 2014 and ends on January 15, 2015. The award ceremony, during which the winning submissions will be screened before a live audience, will take place on March 21, 2015 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The evening will also include a red-carpet arrival, extensive media coverage of the event and the participating contestants, and a reception following.
For more information, including submission guidelines and deadlines, past winning films and filmmakers and much more, please visit the official Festival website at FarhangFilmFest.org.