Azadeh Moussavi

Azadeh Moussavi (آزاده موسوی; born March 27, 1980, in Tehran, Iran) is an acclaimed Iranian independent filmmaker, producer, and screenwriter. She has garnered recognition for her compelling documentaries and short fiction films. Notable works include the feature documentary "From Iran, A Separation" (2013), the short fiction films "Discharge" (2017) and "48 Hours" (2022), as well as the documentary "Finding Farideh" (2018) and the short fiction "The Visit" (2020).
==Early life and education==
Azadeh Moussavi, who was an outstanding student in school, pursued a degree in Computer Engineering due to her family's encouragement, despite her deep passion for the arts. After obtaining her bachelor's degree, she worked in the field for ten years. However, her primary interest remained in photography and cinema throughout this period, and she practiced photography actively. Eventually, she decided to study film directing and got admitted to the Tehran University of Arts. Upon entering the university, she made her first short film named "Māzhoor," which was nominated in the "Debut Films" category at the Nahaal Student Film Festival. During her academic years, she was an active student and even served as the director of the eighth edition of the Nahaal Festival. In a year that coincided with the street protests of 2009, despite the significant limitations imposed on students, she managed to hold the festival and prevent its collapse.
==Career==
Azadeh Moussavi, throughout the 2010s and 2020s, showcased her talent in the world of cinema. After creating three student short films - "Māzhoor," "Street Symphony," and "Grapefruit" - and collaborating on others as an assistant, she co-directed and produced a medium-length film in collaboration with Kourosh Ataee. Named "From Iran, A Separation," this film, which presented a fresh perspective on Iran's first Oscar received by Asghar Farhadi, won several awards and was showcased on renowned TV channels, including Cine+ (France) and Channel 4 (UK).
Driven by her personal experiences working with orphaned children and her connection with child care institutions, Mousavi made a short film titled "Discharge." This film, which delves into the sensitive topic of baby selling, had its premiere in the competition section of the Aspen Film Festival in the USA.
Subsequently, she collaborated again with Kourosh Ataee to produce a feature documentary titled "In Search of Farideh." Over the course of four years, this film, which enjoyed a successful stint in Iranian cinemas, was internationally represented by Iran as its nominee for the Academy Awards.
Another significant work by Mousavi is "The Visit," a short film that's part of an autobiographical trilogy. It's based on her memories from childhood during the time when her father, a journalist, was arrested and imprisoned. This poignant film debuted at the Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival and went on to feature in numerous festivals, collecting a series of accolades.
In 2022, Mousavi released "48 Hours," the second installment of this trilogy. The film was showcased at the Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival in France, marking its entry into the international circuit. Like its predecessor, "48 Hours" garnered attention at various film festivals and won multiple awards.
==Filmography==
===Feature films===
Year	Title 	Role 	Role 	Role 	Reference
Year	Title 	Director	Writer	Producer	Reference
2013	From Iran, A Separation	 	 	 	
2017	Discharge 	 	 	 	
2018	Finding Farideh 	 	 	 	
2020	The visit 	 	 	 	
2022	48 Hours 	 	 	 	
==Honors and awards==
Year	Title 	Festival 	Award 	Category 	Result	Notes 	References
2013	From Iran, A Separation	Tehran International Short Film Festival 	Special Award of the Festival Director 	 	 	Joint with Kourosh Ataee	
2013	From Iran, A Separation	Iranian Cinema Academy Awards 	Best Film and Best Original Score 	 	 	Joint with Kourosh Ataee	
2017	Discharge 	Tehran International Short Film Festival 	Best Director & Best Sound 	Best Director 	 	 	
2017	Discharge 	Tehran International Short Film Festival 	Best Director & Best Sound 	Best Sound 	 	 	
2018	Finding Farideh 	Cinema Verite International Film Festival 	 	Best Film in Art & Experience Section 	 	Joint with Kourosh Ataee	
2018	Finding Farideh 	Cinema Verite International Film Festival 	 	Best Editing 	 	 	
2018	Finding Farideh 	Cinema Verite International Film Festival 	 	Best Music 	 	 	
2018	Finding Farideh 	Cinema Verite International Film Festival 	 	Festival Director's Special Prize 	 	Joint with Kourosh Ataee	
2018	Finding Farideh 	Iranian Cinema Academy Awards 	Best Feature Documentary Award 	Best Feature Documentary Award 	 	Joint with Kourosh Ataee	
2018	Finding Farideh 	Hafez Cinema & Television Independent Awards 	Best Documentary Award 	Best Documentary Award 	 	Joint with Kourosh Ataee	
2018	Finding Farideh 	Cinema Cinema Academy Awards 	Best Documentary Award 	Best Documentary Award 	 	 	
2018	Finding Farideh 	Ojai International Film Festival 	Honorable Mention for Best Documentary Feature 	Honorable Mention for Best Documentary Feature 	 	 	
2018	Finding Farideh 	Los Angeles Film Awards 	Honorable Mention for Best Documentary Feature. 	Honorable Mention for Best Documentary Feature. 	 	 	
2018	Finding Farideh 	Kazan International Muslim Film Festival- Russia 	Special Prize of the Tataristan's President for "Humanity in Cinema"	Special Prize of the Tataristan's President for "Humanity in Cinema"	 	 	
2018	Finding Farideh 	Herat International Women's Film Festival 	Best Feature Documentary Award 	Best Feature Documentary Award 	 	 	
2018	Finding Farideh 	MENA Film Festival in the Hauge, the Netherlands 	"Peace and Justice" Award 	"Peace and Justice" Award 	 	Joint with Korosh Ataee 	
2020	The Visit 	SediciCorto Film Festival 	Jury Special Mention 	Jury Special Mention 	 	 	
2020	The Visit 	Heart international woman's film festival 	Best short film 	Best short film 	 	 	
2020	The Visit 	International Biennal Dona i Cinema – Mujer y Cine – Woman & Film	Best short film 	Best short film 	 	 	
2020	The Visit 	FILMAY Short Film Festival 	Best Director Award 	Best Director Award 	 	 	
2020	The Visit 	Iranian Film Festival 2021, Switzerland 	Best Director Award 	Best Director Award 	 	 	
2021	The Visit 	FIKE - Festival Internacional de Curtas-Metragens de Évora 	Best Script Award 	Best Script Award 	 	 	
2021	The Visit 	Les 12 courts de Minuit 	Les 12 courts de Minuit 	Les 12 courts de Minuit 	 	 	
2021	The Visit 	New York City Short Film Festival 	Audience Award 	Audience Award 	 	 	
2022	48 Hours 	MedFilm Festival 	Jury Special Mention 	Jury Special Mention 	 	 	
2023	48 Hours 	Flickerfest International Short Film Festival 	Special Jury Prize 	Special Jury Prize 	 	 	
2023	48 Hours 	Women International Film Festival 	Best Film 	Best Film 	 	 	
2023	48 Hours 	FEMCINE - Santiago Women's Film Festival 	Jury Special Mention 	Jury Special Mention 	 	 	
2023	48 Hours 	Palm Springs international film festival 	Special Mention for best of the festival 	Special Mention for best of the festival 	 	 	
2023	48 Hours 	Art Film Fest Kosice 	Best Short Film Award 	Best Short Film Award 	 	 	
==Professional distinctions==
* Jury Selection of Cinema Verite International Documantary Film Festival.
* Jury Selection of Sayeh national student short film festival.>.
* Costume Designer in the Feature Film " Hendi & Hormoz" by Abbas Amini.
* Assistant Director in the documentary " PERSONAL NARATIVE" Directed by Rakhshan Banietemad
* Director of the 8th Nahal Student Short Film Festival ,2011.
Category:People from Tehran
Category:1980 births
Category:Filmmakers
Category:Producers
Category:Screenwriters