Film Jurors
Kayhan Mortezavi
Director
Production Designer
Kayhan Mortezavi is a film director and production designer, who lives in Toronto. His work has been honoured, nominated and won awards at international film festivals in Germany, Korea, Argentina, Canada and Iran. His recent credits as a production designer include Golden Cage (shot in Los Angeles, 2011), and as a director Adagio for Being and Coffeehouse Painting, which are currently in production in Toronto.
In addition to his film experience, Kayhan has worked as an art director with CBC-ROB TV in Canada, as well as numerous TV series in Iran such as Amir Kabir, Shah Shekar, Satar Khan, and The Fall of Sahra. He has also worked as the production designer in more than twenty theatrical productions in Toronto. Kayhan holds a Masters in Fine Arts from the University of Tehran and a Masters of Education from York University in Toronto. In addition to his independent pursuits, he is a lead teacher on the Arts Leadership Council and the MI Lead central committee for training teachers at the Toronto District School Board, and collaborates with the Faculty of Education at York University as a mentor.
Hamid Jebeli
Director, Actor
Screenwriter
With more than four decades of Acting and photography experiences in the film industry, Hamid Jebeli has dedicated his life to build strong and outstanding Feature films, in Iran. with the background of acting in more than 30 feature films, screen writing for 15 feature films ,and TV series , directing 3 movies and photographs more than 70 theatrical show, Hamid jebeli became an iconic figure in the ilm industry in iran. Community in Canada. film industry in iran.
Farhad Alizadeh Ahi
Director, Writer
Production Designer
Born in 1965, Tehran, Iran, Farhad Alizadeh Ahi studied Film Making at Film Making Training Center and has his B.A in Set Designing, from Dramatic Arts School, Tehran University (1996) and a Master’s degree in Dramatic Literature from Tarbiat Modares University (2001). He has been working as a film director, screen writer, production designer & art director for more than 50 feature films, TV series and short films. He came to Canada in 2009 and since then has pursued his career as a director and production designer. Make a Movie Productions is a film-based company that he established with two friends of his. The Bright Side of the Moon is his first feature movie in North America.
Mostafa Azizi
Producer, Writer
Mostafa Azizi (Born in Arak, Iran; September 20, 1962-) is an Iranian writer, screenwriter and producer of television programs. Some of his productions like Talash gameshow, Mosafer and Rahe Bi Payan TV series were among the most highly-watched programs of their time. A book of his short stories in Farsi titled, “My Name is Raymond Carver” was published in 2010 in Iran.
Since 2010, Azizi has immigrated to Canada and currently lives in Toronto where he is the director of Alternate Dream Productions Inc.
Pooyan Tabatabaei
Multidisciplinary Artist
Curator
Pooyan Tabatabaei , Iranian-Canadian Photographer and filmmaker was born on July 7, 1979 in Tehran (Iran). In 2000, right after achieving B.Sc. of Industrial Management he chose Canada as a second home. With more than a decade of experience in photojournalism in Canada, University background in Art and Management, Pooyan Tabatabaei has contributed to push the boundaries in Canadian Visual Art by achieving international prestigious awards and receiving many nominations. While his photojournalistic images have been published in numerous international magazines and dailies, his artistic visionary has been appreciated by the art society and he has chosen to be a curator for the international festivals and exhibitions.
Sasan Bagherpour Asvandi
Sound Designer, Mixer
Sound Editor
Sasan is a Toronto based sound designer and film director. His work has been honored, nominated and won awards in many festivals including Cannes, Karlovy Vary, Venice, Monte Carlo and Fajr. His recent credits as a sound designer are “little Films About Big Moments” and “Adagio for Being”. As a film director, his new film “Where Am I?” is in the production stage and taking place in Toronto.
Born in Masjid-Suleiman in 1965, raise and lived in Khuzestan, a south-west province in Iran during the 8 year war between Iran & Iraq. Studied in Shiraz and moved to Tehran.
He Started to work in Sound section with pioneers and mentors J.Mirshekari & A.Shahverdi as a boom operator and sound recorder. The collaborations with many Iranian seasoned directors such as Abbas Kiarostami(Taste of Cherry winner Golden Palm in Cannes film festival) , Dariush Mehrjoie ,Kianoosh Ayari(Abadanians winner first prize of karlovy vary and Monte Carlo),Mohsen Makhmalbaf ,Samira Makhmalbaf ,Jafar Panahi(the Circle winner of Golden Lion in Venice film festival).
He has been working as a Sound Designer, Sound Editor, Sound Mixer, Sound Recorder and Boom Operator for more than 40 feature films and TV series.
Visual Exhibition Jurors
Mahmoud Meraji
Painter
With 30 years of experience in working and teaching as a full time artist, award-winning Mahmoud Meraji has showcased several exhibitions in both Iran and Canada. Mahmoud Meraji was born on February 18, 1958 in Tehran. He started painting in 1974, and in 1998, immigrated to Canada with his wife and son. Throughout the years he has been experimenting with different mediums, and he is now more focused on working with pastel and oil color. His art work spans Classicism, Realism and Surrealism.mahmoud meraji is an internationally acclaimed master of portraiture.
Marcel Jerou
Photographer
Marcel Jerou Is an international Award Winning photographer from Toronto, Canada.He was born in 1984 in Toronto and raised in Europe.
With a decade of experience in journalism and fine-art, educational background in Art in OCAD and Sheridan College, Marcel Jerou has developed very unique taste in art and specially in photography. In 2008 he joined other photographers in NVP news Agency.
“As a result, I have developed a split perspective on occidental culture. This has enabled me to see things in a non ethnocentric manner. Furthermore, I’ve been a rival of conformity for as long as I’ve been conscious. I am also an ardent observer of the human condition.
I was raised with the smell of developer, and fixer. The first time I grabbed a camera for the purpose of self expression, was eight years ago. The camera has become a key component of my livelihood. Now is a very exciting time in my life.
A photographer once said to me “if I want to succeed, I must appreciate all art forms”. Another photographer told me that “I am only as good as my next photograph”. These are notions that to this day, I adhere to. I have an eclectic taste when it comes to art, and I’m always open to new work. Through my eyes objectivity reigns, but above all, it is the work that I value and not its creator.”
Ali Kamran
Graphic Artist
Ali Kamran; Graphic Artist, Theatre & Movie Director was born on January 20, 1974 in Tehran. In 1997, he finished his university by achieving bachelor of science degree.
Ali Kamran has been involved in designed industry as a graphic designer and art director since 1997. His posters for the theatrical shows brought local and international recognitions for him. From 2006 Ali Kamran continued his art journey in Canada and numerous Canadian festivals, Music albums and theatre posters flourished by his style.
Julie Oakes
Multidisciplinary artist and critic
Born Julie Cowan in 1948, she married Sir Christopher Oakes to become Lady Oakes in 1978. Oakes has a Masters Degree in Visual Arts from New York University and a Masters Degree in Social and Political Science from The New School for Social Research in New York.
With a dual career as an artist and writer, she created Human Sacrifice, three exhibitions with accompanying novellas. In addition to writing for Vie des Arts Magazine, Canada, Oakes has written a novel titled Hooks published by Dundurn Press, 2012.
Oakes uses multi-disciplinary means such as painting, drawing, sculpture, video, performance and printmaking to support narrative imagery often with gender based or spiritual overtones. The Life Screen was made for the series The Buddha Composed. Swounds, her most recent exhibition at The Canadian Clay and Glass Museum in Canada, included an installation of porcelain and glass sparrows and the Sparrow Christi prints.
Hamid Jebeli
Director, Actor
Screenwriter
With more than four decades of Acting and photography experiences in the film industry, Hamid Jebeli has dedicated his life to build strong and outstanding Feature films, in Iran. with the background of acting in more than 30 feature films, screen writing for 15 feature films ,and TV series , directing 3 movies and photographs more than 70 theatrical show, Hamid jebeli became an iconic figure in the ilm industry in iran.
Levon haftvan
Theater director and Actor
Levon Haftvan is an Armenian-born Iranian theater director, actor, producer and critic. He is the founder and artistic director of Lemaz Production and the ReeRaa Theatre Company, and the author of artistic critiques appearing in Armenian, Persian and English periodicals. He has left Iran in 1991 and resided in Canada since 1995. Haftvan speaks fluent English, Russian, Persian and Armenian and holds a degree from the University of Tehran in acting and directing. Haftvan also received a MFA in directing from the Russian Academy of Theatrical Arts in Moscow.
Mahrokh Ahankhah
Architect and Art Curator
With more than a decade of experience in architecture while working as an Architect in Canada, Mahrokh Ahankhah took a bold step above and beyond her designated and expected job description and established Queen Gallery!
Queen Gallery is Mahrokh Ahankhah’s flag ship of diversity & innovation, which sailed beyond merely showcasing numerous international artists. She has taken upon herself to pursue the sacred task of converting mundane events into exciting cultural ones, transforming the corpses of spaces to lively, ambient ones accented by various artistic approaches!
Pooyan Tabatabaei
Multidisciplinary Artist
Curator
Pooyan Tabatabaei , Iranian-Canadian Photographer and film maker was born on July 7, 1979 in Tehran (Iran). In 2000, right after achieving B.Sc. of Industrial Management he chose Canada as a second home. With more than a decade of experience in photojournalism in Canada, University background in Art and Management, Pooyan Tabatabaei has contributed to push the boundaries in Canadian Visual Art by achieving international prestigious awards and receiving many nominations. While his photojournalistic images have been published in numerous international magazines and dailies, his artistic visionary has been appreciated by the art society and he has chosen to be a curator for the international festivals and exhibitions.
Mohsen Vaziri Moghadam
Painter and Sculptor
Pioneer of Iranian modern art
Half a century of Mohsen Vaziri’s art production confirms his strong credence in the modernist tradition. In fact, his journey, from the earliest figuration practices to the last abstract collages, beholds diversity of ideas and modern art pioneers’ methods; and for that reason, his works may look assorted. Vaziri has realised ultimate values of the modernist tradition in abstract art, and through the language of pure form and colour, he believes one may express profound conceptions, which would be improbable in naturalistic representations. To acquire such expressions, intuitive and intellectual courses are reasonably practicable. Creating an abstract work, in Kandinsky’s words, “Reason, consciousness, and purpose play an overwhelming part. But of calculation nothing appears: only feeling”.
Sasan Bagherpour Asvandi
