Babak Jalali

Babak Jalali

Babak Jalali (Persian: بابک جلالی) is an Iranian–British film director and producer, notably directing Radio Dreams, for which he won the Hivos Tiger Award at the 45th International Film Festival Rotterdam.

Early life

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Jalali was born in Gorgan, Iran, and grew up in London, where he attended the London Film School.[1]

Career

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Directing

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In 2006, Jalali was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Short Film for his short "Heydar, an Afghan in Tehran."[1]

Jalali's first feature film, the 2010 Frontier Blues, was developed with support from the Cannes Cinéfondation.[2] Frontier Blues premiered in Locarno Festival Competition and also screened in the 2010 "New Directors" series at the Museum of Modern Art and Lincoln Center.[3]

In 2016, Jalali's film Radio Dreams[4][5] premiered at the 45th International Film Festival Rotterdam, winning for the Hivos Tiger Award, the festival's top honor.[6]

Jalali's third feature Land is an Italian-French-Dutch co-production, supported by CNC, TorinoFilmLab, Eurimages, Mibac and Doha Film Institute among others. It premiered in Berlin International Film Festival.

Jalali co-wrote, edited, and directed his fourth feature Fremont, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2023.[7]

With his film Fremont, Jalali was nominated as a director for Best International Feature Film at the British Independent Film Awards in 2024, and he won the John Cassavetes Awards at the Independent Spirit Awards 2024.

Producing

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Jalali has also produced films, including Italian director Duccio Chiarini’s Short Skin, which won support from the Venice Biennale College[8] and premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2014;[9] Israel-born, Berlin-based director Noaz Deshe's feature White Shadow;[10] and Iranian director Ali Jaberansari's feature The Ladder, for which Jalali, Jaberansari and Chiarini (also producing) won production support at the Sofia International Film Festival.[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b Tolley, Gail (August 4, 2010). "Babak Jalali: Frontier Blues". Dazed. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  2. ^ Rosser, Michael (February 1, 2016). "Rotterdam director questions role of microbudget talent schemes". ScreenDaily.com. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  3. ^ Holden, Stephen (30 March 2010). "New Directors/New Films Offers 'I Am Love'". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  4. ^ Griffiths, Michael (4 March 2016). "Metallica fans are ignoring Iran's ban on metal music". The Independent. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  5. ^ Young, Neil (February 3, 2016). "'Radio Dreams': Rotterdam Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  6. ^ Rosser, Michael (February 5, 2016). "'Radio Dreams' wins Rotterdam's Tiger Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam". Screendaily.com. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  7. ^ Feldberg, Isaac (February 1, 2023). "'Fremont': Babak Jalali & Anaita Wali Zada On Their Delightful & Comically Offbeat Sundance Gem [Interview]". theplaylist.net. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  8. ^ Lyman, Eric J. (November 27, 2013). "Venice's Biennale College Selects Three Finalists for Financial Support, Spot in Film Festival". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  9. ^ Hopewell, John (29 August 2014). "Venice: Good Films To Release 'Short Skin' in Italy (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  10. ^ Simon, Alissa (9 July 2014). "Variety Critics' Choice Helmer Noaz Deshe Reveals Multi-disciplinary Plans". Variety. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  11. ^ Blaney, Martin (March 16, 2015). "'The Lesson' wins four in Sofia". Screendaily.com. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
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