Samira Makhmalbaf

Samira Makhmalbaf (Persian: سمیرا مخملباف‎, Samiraa Makhmalbaaf) (born February 15, 1980, Tehran) is an internationally acclaimed Iranian filmmaker and script writer. She is the daughter of Mohsen Makhmalbaf, the film director and writer. Samira Makhmalbaf belongs to the New Wave movement within Iranian cinema. At the age of 20, Samira studied Psychology and Law at Roehampton University in London.

Biography

At the age of seven, she acted in her father's film The Bicyclist. She left high school when she was 14 to study cinema in the Mohhmalbaf Film House for five years. At the age of 17, after directing two video productions, she went on to direct the movie The Apple. One year later, the 18-year-old director went on to become the youngest director in the world participating in the official section of the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. The Apple has been invited to more than 100 international film festivals in a period of two years, while going to the screen in more than 30 countries.

In 1999, Samira made her second feature film, entitled Blackboards and for the second time participated in the competition section of the Cannes Film Festival as the youngest director in the world, in 2000, this time winning the jury prize.

Samira next directed a movie while living in Kabul called At Five in the Afternoon. Her latest film, Two-Legged Horse, from a script by her father Mohsen, was also shot in Afghanistan.

Samira Mohmalbaf has been the winner and nominee of numerous awards. She was nominated twice for Golden Palm of Cannes Film Festival for Panj é asr (At Five in the Afternoon) (2003) and Takhté siah (Blackboards) (2001). She won Prix du Jury of Cannes, for both films in 2003 and 2001 respectively. Samira Mohmalbaf also won UNESCO Award of Venice Film Festival in 2002 for 11.09.01 - September 11 and Sutherland Trophy of London Film Festival for The Apple in 1998. In 2003, a panel of critics at the British newspaper The Guardian named Makhmalbaf among the best 40 best directors at work today.

Filmography

• The Apple (Language: Persian)
• Blackboards (Language: Kurdish)
• God, Construction and Destruction as part of 11'9''01 September 11 (Language: Persian)
• At Five in the Afternoon (Language: Persian)
• Two-Legged Horse

International Awards

• “Sutherland Trophy”, London Film Festival 1998, UK.
• “International Critics prize”, Locarno Film Festival 1998, Switzerland.
• “Jury’s Special prize”, Thessalonica Film Festival 1998, Greece.
• “Jury’s Special prize”,São Paulo Film Festival 1998, Brazil.
• “Jury’s Special prize”, Independent cinema Festival 1999, Argentina.
• “Critic’s prize”, Independent cinema Festival 1999, Argentina.
• “Audience’s prize”, Independent cinema Festival 1999, Argentina.
• “Jury Special award”Official Competition section of the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, France.
• “Federico Fellini Medal”, UNESCO, Paris, 2000.
• “Francois Truffaut prize”, Giffoni Film Festival in Italy 2000.
• “Giffoni’s Mayor Prize “, Giffoni Film Festival, Italy, 2000.
• “Special cultural Prize”, UNESCO, Paris, 2000.
• “The grand Jury prize”, American Film Institute, U.S., 2000
• “Jury Special award”, Official Competition section of Cannes Film Festival 2003, France.
• Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, Cannes 2003, France.
• Golden Peacock, competition (first prize) for Best film at the 34th International Film Festival of India 2003, India.
• The “Youths’ Cinema” Award in Singapore’s 17th International Silver Screen Film Festival 2004
• "The Special Jury Prize", San Sebastian Film Festival (2008)

Trivia

• The indie rock band Pain(t) by Numbers wrote a song providing a brief biography of Samira.

See also

• Persian cinema
• Women's Cinema
• Iranian women
• List of famous Persian women
• Persian women's movement

External links

• http://www.makhmalbaf.com - Official homepage of the Makhmalbaf family of film-makers
• Samira Makhmalbaf at the Internet Movie Database