Mehrdad Oskouei

Mehrdad Oskouei (Persian: مهرداد اسکویی‎; born in Tehran, Iran in 1969) is an Iranian independent producer, director and screenwriter of documentary films and film educator.

Mehrdad Oskouei مهرداد اسکویی
Personal details
Born	(1969-09-12) 12 September 1969 Tehran, Iran
Occupation	Film director, screenwriter, producer, and photographer

Biography

Iranian filmmaker, photographer, film producer and researcher. MFA in film directing from the Department of Film and Theater of Tehran University of Fine Arts. Most of his films have been shown at respected festivals both at home and abroad with many receiving critical acclaim. His films being shown at over 500 national and international film festivals in over 60 countries and having won over 120 awards makes him one of the most outstanding Iranian documentary makers. In 2010, Oskouei received the Prince Claus Award from the Netherlands for his achievements.[1]

Oskouei has attended various international film festival studies programs including The Berlinale Talent Campus, The German Academy of Fine Arts, The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam Academy (IDFAcademy) as well as film workshop in France, England, Poland, Switzerland, the UAE and (Germany) under such esteemed filmmakers as:Albert Maysles, Richard Leacock, Abbas Kiarostami, Frederick Wiseman, Ross McElwee, Werner Hersog, Wim Wenders, Anthony Minghella, Michel chion, Amir Naderi, and Walter Murch.[2] The Visual Heritage Center of Iran was founded in 2011 by Oskouei along with the cooperation of researchers in various fields. The heritage's activities are centered on historical photographs and post cards of Iran.

In 2010, Oskouei received the lifetime achievement in documentary making from the Iranian Documentary Filmmakers Association at the House of Cinema awards ceremony. In January 2015, The Gilan province Islamic Cultural Center awarded him for his archival research and pictorial history of their province. Oskouei directed the Iranian Cultural Special Documentary Committee from 2004 until 2008. His film The Last Days of Winter was screened in France in 2013 and his latest film "starless dreams" was screened in France, England, Switzerland, United States and Japan in 2017 and 2018. He was a founding member of the Institute of Anthropology and Culture, where he interviewed many prominent Iranian and foreign filmmakers and artists.[3]

In 2016, Oskouei was awarded the Amnesty International Prize at the Berlinale (an award he shared with the festival's Golden Bear winner, Fire at Sea). He also had been honoring as the recipient of the festival's True Vision Award at True/False Film Fest in Missouri as the best documentary film maker of the year 2016.[4]

Oskouei has been a judge at 130 renowned film festivals such as: CPH Docs(Denmark),Jean Rouch international film festival(France), Krakov International Film Festival(Poland ), Tehran international short film festival(Iran) and Cinema Verite international film festival(Iran), as well as being a cultural ambassador for the United Nation's humanitarian committee UCHA.[5] Oskouei is also on the boards of; Iranian Short Film Association, Documentary Filmmakers of Iran, The National Iranian Photographers Association, European Documentary Network EDN, International Documentary Association IDA. He also teaches at film schools around Iran as well as being active in the Tehran Arts and Culture Association. Oskouei has been awarded many prizes. Here is a partial list; The icon from IDFA Netherlands,The Reva and David Logan Grand Jury Award & Full Frame Inspiration Award, Human right award in Berlin film festival, Icon for best film at Hot Docs festival/ Canada, Golden Dragon award best film, Kraków Festival, Best Documentary at Munich/Germany, Best film Documentary Festival Montreal/ Canada.

Starless dreams is ranked above many films of prominent directors. American news and culture paper The Village Voice ranked the documentary 7th Among Village Voice Top 25 Films.[6] Meanwhile, the movie gained 85 scores out of 100 on the metacritic movie website[7]

Oskoeui was the subject of a retrospective at New York's Anthology Film Archives, 2018. It included Starless Dreams, his medium-length films Nose, Iranian Style, The Other Side of Burka, The Last Days of Winter and It's Always Late for Freedom, and four shorts. This is the most complete series devoted to his work in the United States so far.[8]

Selected filmography

• 2019 || Sunless Sadows || Director, producer,screenwriter[9]
• 2016 || Starless Dreams || Director, producer,screenwriter
• 2011 || The Last Days of Winter || Director, producer, screenwriter[10]
• 2009 || The Taste of Iran (episode 1&4) || Director, screenwriter
• 2007 || It's always late for freedom || Director, producer, screenwriter
• 2005 || Nose, Iranian Style || Director, producer, screenwriter[11]
• 2004 || The Other Side of Burka || Director, producer, co-director of photography, screenwriter
• 2000 || My Mother's Home, Lagoon || Director, co-producer, screenwriter

International Film awards

• Winner of: *Student Jury* Award ، at the 60th Krakow Film Festival, Poland, 2020.(Sunless Shadows)[12]
• Winner of: *SILVER HORN* Best director of the film on social issues ، at the 60th Krakow Film Festival, Poland, 2020.(Sunless Shadows)[13]
• Winner of : *Honorable Mention* at the 17th Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Missoula, Montana USA, 2020. (Sunless Shadows)[14]
• Winner of: 32nd IDFA, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2019. 32nd IDFA, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2019.(Sunless Shadows)[15]
• Winner of: the Gold prize of the documentary section at Int'l Oriental Filmfest of Geneva, Switzerland, 2018 (Starless dreams)[16]
• Winner of: Cercle d’Or – Best Documentary at the 5e Festival Cinema du Monde de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada, 2018 (Starless dreams)[17]
• Winner of: Best Film – Junior Jury Award at the 4th Budapest International Documentary Film Festival (Starless dreams)[18]
• Winner of: Best Film – Senior Jury Award at the 4th Budapest International Documentary Film Festival[18] Hungary, 2018 (Starless dreams)[19]
• Winner of: Grand Prix – Traces de Vies at the 27e Festival du Film Documentaire Traces de Vies, Clermont Ferrand, France,2017 (Starless dreams) [20]
• Winner of: *Best Documentary Film* at the Silk Road International Documentary Film Festival, China, 2017 (Starless dreams) [21]
• Winner of: *Best Film-Teen Dox Jury Award* at the 13th International Documentary Film Festival ZagrebDox, Zagreb, Croatia, 2017 (Starless dreams)[22]
• Winner of: *Audience Award* at the 22e Festival International du Cinéma d’Auteur de Rabat, Morocco, 2017 (Starless dreams)[23]
• Winner of: *Jury's Special Mention* at the 12th Pravo Ljudski Film Festival, Sarajevo, 2017 (Starless dreams)[24]
• Winner of: the Pare Lorentz Award at 32nd Annual IDA Documentary Awards, 2016, Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, USA (Starless dreams)[25]
• Winner of: the Grierson Prize for Best Documentary Feature at the 60th BFI London Film Festival, UK, 2016 (Starless dreams)[26]
• Winner of: Special Mention Human Rights Award at DokuFest Prizren, Kosova, 2016 (Starless dreams)
• Winner of: Cineuropa Audience Award at the 'New Directors, New Films' Festival, Espinho, Portugal (Starless dreams)
• Winner of: Honorable Mentionat the 'New Directors, New Films' Festival, Espinho, Portugal (Starless dreams)
• Winner of: Special Mention Youth's Jury Award at the 4th Cinema in Sneakers Film Festival for Children & Youth, Warsaw, Poland, 2016 (Starless dreams)
• Winner of: the Reva and David Logan Grand Jury Award, Duke University, 2016[27]
• Winner of: the Full Frame Inspiration Award, Durham, North Carolina, 10 April 2016 (Starless dreams)[28] at the 19th Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, North Carolina, United States, 2016[29] (Starless dreams)
• Winner of: True Vision Award for Mehrdad Oskouei at the 13th True/False Film Festival, Columbia, Missouri, United States, 2016 (Starless dreams)
• Winner of: Amnesty International Film Prize at the 66th Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlinale-Generation 14plus, Germany, 2016[30]
• Winner of: best feature documentary at the 10th Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC), 2016, Australia, (Starless dreams)[31]
• Winner of: Audience Award At the 29th exground filmfest, Wiesbaden, Germany, 2016 (Starless dreams)[18]
• Winner of: Youth Jury Prize[18] At the 29th exground filmfest, Wiesbaden, Germany, 2016 (Starless dreams)[18]
• Winner of: Prix Smart at ‘Festival des Libertés’, Bruxelles, Belgique, 2016 (Starless dreams)
• Winner of: Best Film – Young Jury Award at the 31st Unabhaengiges FilmFest Osnabrueck, Germany, 2016 (Starless dreams)
• Winner of: Special Jury Award at Antenna Documentary Festival, Sydney, Australia, 2016 (Starless dreams)
• Winner of: Best International Documentary at 25th Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, Arkansas, United States, 2016 (Starless dreams)
• Winner of: Best Feature Documentary at the 10th Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC), Australia, 2016 (Starless dreams)[31]
• Winner of: Best Film at the 12th "move it!" Internationale Film festival, Dresdener, Germany, 2016 (Starless dreams)[32]
• Winner of: Grand Prix Nanook – Jean Rouch at the 35th Jean Rouch IFF, Paris, France (Starless dreams)
• Winner of: Grierson Award for the best documentary at the 60th BFI London Film Festival,2016, London, England (Starless dreams)[33]
• Winner of:Best Full-length Documentary Award at the 26th International Message to Man Film Festival, 2016, Saint Petersburg, Russia (Starless dreams)[34]
• Winner of: The main prize of films focusing on human rights at The Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF),2016,Bergen Norway (Starless dreams)[35]
• Winner of The "special mention" of jury for The HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD[36]

Selected international film festivals

• 32nd IDFA, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 20 November – 1 December 2019. (Sunless Shadows)[37]
• Humboldt University, Faculty of Theology, Berlin, Germany. 3–14 December 2018 (Starless dreams)[38]
• 29th Carthage Film Festival, Tunis, Tunisia. 3–10 November 2018 (Starless dreams)[38]
• 16th Pyongyang International Film Festival, North Korea. 19–28 September 2018. ‘Informative screening section (Starless dreams)[38]
• Rencontres du Film Documentaire de Mellionnec, France. 28 June – 1 July 2018 (Starless dreams)[39]
• Human Rights Nights Film Festival, Bologna, Italy. 4–13 May 2018 (Starless dreams)[39]

Venue: Cinema Lumière of the Cineteca di Bologna (Starless dreams)[38]

• 13ème Festival International du Film Oriental de Genève (FIFOG), Suisse. 21–29 April 2018. Competition section (Starless dreams)[38]
• 5e Festival Cinema du Monde de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada, 2018 (Starless dreams)[17]
• 4th Budapest International Documentary Film Festival, Hungary, 2018 (Starless dreams)[19]
• 27e Festival du Film Documentaire Traces de Vies, Clermont Ferrand, France,2017 (Starless dreams)[40]
• 13th International Documentary Film Festival ZagrebDox, ZAGREB, CROATIA, 2017 (Starless dreams)
• 22e Festival International du Cinéma d’Auteur de Rabat, Morocco, 2017 (Starless dreams) [23]
• 12th Pravo Ljudski Film Festival, Sarajevo, 2017 (Starless dreams)[24]
• 32nd Annual IDA Documentary Awards, Friday 9 December 2016, Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, USA (Starless dreams)[25]
• 60th BFI London Film Festival, UK, 2016 (Starless dreams)[26]
• DokuFest Prizren, Kosova, 2016 (Starless dreams)[41]
• 'New Directors, New Films' Festival, Espinho, Portugal (Starless dreams)
• 4th Cinema in Sneakers Film Festival for Children & Youth, Warsaw, Poland, 2016 (Starless dreams)
• 19th Full Frame Inspiration Award, Durham, North Carolina, 10 April 2016 (Starless dreams)[28] at the 19th Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, North Carolina, United States, 2016[29] (Starless dreams)
• the Reva and David Logan Grand Jury Award, Duke University, 2016[27]
• 13th True/False Film Festival, Columbia, Missouri, United States, 2016 (Starless dreams)
• 66th Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlinale-Generation 14plus, Germany, 2016[30]
• Pare Lorentz Award at IDA(International Documentary association), 2016, Los Angeles, USA (Starless dreams)[42]
• 10th Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC), 2016, Australia (Starless dreams)[31]
• 29th exground filmfest, Wiesbaden, Germany, 2016 (Starless dreams)[18]
• 32nd International Documentary Association (IDA), 2016, at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, United States. The Pare Lorentz Award recognizes films that demonstrate exemplary filmmaking while focusing on the appropriate use of the natural environment, justice for all and the illumination of pressing social problems (Starless dreams)
• ‘Festival des Libertés’, Bruxelles, Belgique, 2016 (Starless dreams)
• 31st Unabhaengiges FilmFest Osnabrueck, Germany, 2016 (Starless dreams)
• Antenna Documentary Festival, Sydney, Australia, 2016 (Starless dreams)
• 25th Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, Arkansas, United States, 2016 (Starless dreams)
• 10th Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC), Australia, 2016 (Starless dreams)[31]
• 12th move it Internationale Filmfestival, Dresdener, Germany, 2016 (Starless dreams)[32]
• 35th Jean Rouch IFF, Paris, France (Starless dreams)
• Grierson Award for the best documentary at the 60th BFI London Film Festival, 5 October to 16,2016, London, England (Starless dreams)[33]
• 26th International Message to Man Film Festival, 23 September to 1 October 2016, Saint Petersburg, Russia (Starless dreams)[34]
• Bergen International Film Festival (BIFF), 20 to 28 September 2016,Bergen Norway, (Starless dreams)[35]
• The DokuFest international film Festivcal,2016, Pizren, Kosova, starless dreams/ The "special mention" of jury for The HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD[43]
• Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, 2016, U.S.A, Starless dreams/ The Reva and David Logan Grand Jury Award
• Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, 2016, U.S.A, Starless dreams/ Full Frame Inspiration Award
• True vision Award, 2016, U.S.A (Starless dreams)/ The years' True Vision Award
• Human Rights Nights Film Festival, Bologna, Italy. 4–13 May 2018.

Venue: Cinema Lumière of the Cineteca di Bologna (Starless dreams) [18]

• 13ème Festival International du Film Oriental de Genève (FIFOG), Suisse. 21–29 April 2018 (Starless dreams) Competition section[18]
• 5e Festival Cinema du Monde de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada. 9–15 April 2018 (Starless dreams) Competition section[18]
• 3e Rencontres Hivernales du Documentaire de Grignan, France. Janvier 19–27, 2018 (Starless dreams)[44]
• 4th Budapest International Documentary Film Festival, Hungary. 24–28 January 2018 (Starless dreams) Competition section[19]
• 27e Festival du Film Documentaire Traces de Vies, Clermont Ferrand, France. 27 November – 3 December 2017 (Starless dreams)[20]
• China Society of Documentary Films, First Silk Road International Documentary Film Festival, Grand Ceremony, 2 December 2017 (Starless dreams)[45]
• SOS Villages d’Enfants Monde, Luxembourg. Screening date: Novembre 23, 2017 (Starless dreams) [46]
• 7ème Festival de Films Documentaires ENFANCES DANS LE MONDE, Paris, France. 16–18 November 2017 (Starless dreams)[47]
• 12th Pravo Ljudski Film Festival, Sarajevo. 9–12 November 2017 (Starless dreams)[48]
• 25th Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival, Toronto, Canada. 3–11 November 2017.(Starless dreams)[49]
• 22ème Festival International du Cinéma d’Auteur de Rabat, Maroc. Octobre 27- Novembre 3, 2017 (Starless dreams)[23]
• Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival, Japan. 5–12 October 2017. " New Asian Currents " Competition (Starless dreams)[50]
• 24th Adana International Film Festival,Turkey. 25 September – 1 October 2017 (Starless dreams)[51]
• 7th Favourites Film Festival, Berlin, Germany. 20 to 24 September 2017 (Starless dreams)[52]
• Celebration of Iranian Cinema at UCI. University of California, Irvine, USA. 25–27 Aug 2017 (Starless dreams)[53]
• New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF). 14 July – 7 August 2017 (Starless dreams)[54]
• Festival Résistances, Foix, France. 7–15 July 2017. "Les Visages de la Violence" section (Starless dreams)[55]
• Favourites Film Festival, Bremen (24–28 May 2017) and Berlin, Germany. 20 to 24 September 2017 (Starless dreams)[56]
• 45e Rencontre Cinéma Digne-Les-Bains & Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France. 2–5 May 2017 (Starless dreams)
• 3rd Slovenian International Film Festival for Children and Youth Eye on Film, Slovenia. 3–9 May and 3–8 October 2017 (Starless dreams)
• 45e Rencontre Cinéma Digne-Les-Bains & Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France. 2–5 May 2017 (Starless dreams)
• 28th Ankara International Film Festival, Turkey. 20–30 April 2017 (Starless dreams)
• Mondes en Images, 4ème Rencontres documentaires à Cucuron, France. 6–9 April 2017 (Starless dreams)
• CPH:DOX, Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival, Denmark. 16–26 March 2017 (Starless dreams)

26 February – 5 March 2017. ‘Teen Dox’ competition

• 13th International Documentary Film Festival ZagrebDox, Zagreb, Croatie (Starless dreams)

Iranian Film Screening dates: Januvary 29 & 30, 2017.

• Persische Kulturwoche München, Germany. 27 January – 4 February 2017 (Starless dreams)

Screening date: 18 January.

• Berlin cinema Filmkunst 66, Bleibtreustraße 12, 10623 Berlin, Germany (Starless dreams)
• Screening for Deutsche Filmakademie
• 6th Iranian Film Festival, Prague, Brno and Bratislava, Republic Czech. 10–21 January 2017 (Starless dreams)
• 9th this human world International Human Rights Film Festival, Vienna, Austria. 1–11 December 2016 (Starless dreams)

Terre des Femmes, Tuebingen, Germany. 23–30 November 2016 (Starless dreams)

• Women's Worlds Film Festival by the Human Rights Organisation for Women Terre des Femmes, Tuebingen, Germany, 23–30 November 2016 (Starless dreams)
• 3rd Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival, Australia, 23 November – 4 December 2016 (Starless dreams)
• 20th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Estonia, 11–27 November 2016 (Starless dreams)
• 29th exground filmfest, Wiesbaden, Germany, 11–20 November 2016 (Starless dreams)
• MOVE IT! Film Festival, Dresden, Germany, 8–13 November 2016 (Starless dreams)[32]
• 21ème Rencontres du Cinema Documentaire, Cinéma Le Méliès à Montreuil, France, screening date: 5 November 2016 (Starless dreams)
• 35th Jean Rouch International Film Festival, Paris, France, 5 November – 11 December 2016, screening date: Saturday, 5 November 2016 (Starless dreams)
• 14th Festival Internacional de Cine de Morelia, Mexico, 21–30 October 2016, program "Year of Germany in Mexico 2016/2017" (Starless dreams)
• Festival des Libertés, Bruxelles, Belgique, 20–29 October 2016 (Starless dreams)[57]
• 31st Unabhaengiges FilmFest Osnabrueck, Germany, 19–23 October 2016, "Children Rights Competition" section (Starless dreams)[58]
• Inconvenient Films festival, Lithuania, Vilnius, 13–23 October 2016 (Starless dreams)[59]
• Antenna Documentary Festival, Sydney, Australia, 11–16 October 2016 (Starless dreams)[60] competition
• 25th Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, Arkansas, United States, 7–16 October 2016 (Starless dreams)[61] competition section
• 60th BFI London Film Festival, UK, 5–16 October 2016, "Competition – Grierson" (Starless dreams)[62]
• XXVI Message to Man International Film Festival, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 23–30 September 2016, "International Competition" section (Starless dreams)[63]
• 12th Zurich Film Festival, Switzerland, 22 September – 2 October 2016, "Border Lines" section (Starless dreams)[64]
• Bergen International Film Festival, Norway, 20–28 September 2016,"Checkpoints" competition (Starless dreams)[65]
• The Dokfilmwoche in the fsk Kino and Sputnik Kino in Berlin, Germany, screening dates: 1–7 September 2016.[66]
• DokuFest PRIZREN, KOSOVA, 5–13 August 2016, Human Rights Competition section (Starless dreams)[67]
• 65h Melbourne International Film Festival, Australia, 28 July – 14 August 2016 (Starless dreams)[68]
• ‘New Directors, New Films’ Festival, Espinho, Portugal, 20–27 June 2016, Golden Lynx Competition section (Starless dreams)[69]
• New York Human Rights Watch Film Festival, United States, 10–19 June 2016 (Starless dreams)[70]
• 39th Norwegian Short Film Festival / 'International feature documentary Programme', Grimstad, Norway, 8–12 June 2016 (Starless dreams)[71]
• Cinema at the Deutsches Filmmuseum Frankfurt, Germany, screening dates: 4 and 5 June 2016.[72]
• 4th Cinema in Sneakers Film Festival for Children & Youth, Warsaw, Poland, 1–12 June 2016 (Starless dreams)[73]
• 3rd Köln Iranian Film Festival, Germany, 26–29 May 2016 (Starless dreams)[74]
• 13th International Documentary Film Festival CRONOGRAF, Chisinau, R. of Moldova, 12–18 May 2016, competition section (Starless dreams)[75]
• 31st International Documentary Film Festival (DOK.fest), Munich, Germany (Starless dreams)[76] 5 – 15 May 2016, competition section "DOK.horizonte"
• Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival, Toronto, Canada, 28 April – 8 May 2016 (Starless dreams)[77]
• 19th Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, North Carolina, United States, 7–10 April 2016 (Starless dreams)[78]
• Middle East Now Festival, Florence, Italy, 5–10 April 2016 (Starless dreams)[79]
• Ambulante Documentary Film Festival, Mexico, 31 March – 2 June 2016 (Starless dreams)
• 18th Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival, Greece, 11–20 March 2016 (Starless dreams)[80]
• Griffin 7, Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusett, United States, 8 March 2016
• 18th One World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Prague, Czech Republic, 7–16 March 2016 (Starless dreams)[81]
• 17th Tempo Documentary Festival, Stockholm, Sweden, 7–13 March 2016 (Starless dreams)[82] "TOP DOCS" Non Competitive Festival
• 66th Berlin Film Festival, 2016, Germany (Starless dreams)/ AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL FILM PRIZE[83]
• 34th Fajr International Film Festival, 2016, Iran (Starless dreams)/ Winner of best director Award
• 12th Escales Documentaries, 2012, La Rochelle, France, (The last days of winter)/ winner of youth selection Award
• 21st "Traces de vies" Festival,2012, Clermont-Ferrand,France, (The last days of winter)/ Jury's special Mention
• 7th international Oriental Film Festival, 2012, Geneva, Switzerland, (The last days of winter)/ Winner of Golden FIFOG for the best documentary
• 24th int Documentary film festival Amsterdam, 2011, Amsterdam, Netherlands, (The last days of winter)/ winner of BLACKBERRY IDFA DOCU AWARD
• 6th Planet DOC Review Film Festival, 2009, Worsow, Poland, (It's always late for freedom)/ Mention of the Jury[84]
• Hot Docs Int'L Film festival, 2008, Toronto, Canada, (It's always late for freedom)/ The Best Mid – Length Documentary Award
• 15th int'L DOC Fest SHEFFIELD,2008,SHEFFIELD, England, (It's always late for freedom)/ Nominated of the John Grierson Award[85]
• Med int’L Film Festival, 2008, Rome, Italy, (It's always late for freedom)/ Special Mention
• 3rd Ukrainian Int'l Doc Film Festival Contact, 2007, Kyiv, Ukraine, (It's always late for freedom)/ Special Jury Award[86]
• 7th Int’l F.F Watch Docs, 2007, Warsaw, Poland, (It's always late for freedom)/ Nominated of Best Mid – length Documentary
• 28th Festival International Cinema Du Reel, 2006, Pompidou Center, France,(Maryam of Hengam Island)
• 3rd International Film Festival on Human Rights, 2005, Geneva, Switzerland, (The Other Side of Burka)
• 20th International Munich Doc Film Festival, 2005, Munich, Germany/ (The Other Side of Burka)
• One World International Premiere Award, 2005, London, England, (The Other Side of Burka)
• V Voladero International Film & Video Festival,2004, Mexico, (The Eclipse)/second prize for documentary film festival
• 17th International Documentary Film Festival, 2004, Amsterdam (IDFA), Netherlands,(The Other Side of Burka)
• V voladero international film and video festival, 2004, MEXICO,(The Eclipse)/SECOND PLACE Documentary
• IV Voladero International Film Festival, Mexico, 2003,(I Can't Remember Anything About Afghanistan)/ the best prize
• EVRY international film festival,2003,France,(My mother's home lagoon), The Grand Prize of the jury
• EBENSEE FESTIVAL DER NATIONEN, 2003, Austria,(The Eclipse)/ EBENSEER baren in silver
• IDFA International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam,2002, Netherlands,(I Can't Remember Anything About Afghanistan)
• EBENSEE Festival Der Nationen, 2002, Austria, (I Can't Remember Anything About Afghanistan)/ silver medal
• YAMAGATA International Documentary Film Festival, 2001, Japan, (The Eclipse)
• EBENSEE international short film festival,2000, Austria, (My mother's home lagoon), EBENSEE Baren in silver
• 5th International Short Film Festival of the Iranian Young Cinema Society, 2000, Tehran, (The Eclipse)/the best documentary prize
• MAREMMA doc int’l film festival, 2000, Italy, (My mother's home lagoon)/ GRAND prize of the jury, The first prize of the audience.

Member of jury film festivals

• The jury member in the 35th Tehran International short Film Festival, Tehran, Iran, 9–13 Nov 2018.[87]
• The head of the jury in the short film competition section of the 58th Kraków Film Festival, Poland,2018[88]
• The jury member in the CPH:DOX, Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival, Denmark, 16–26 March 2017.[89]
• The jury member in the 36th Anthropology Jean Rouch international film festival, Paris, France, 2016[90]

Performance art

Mehrdad Oskouei performance art directorial debut at Shirin Gallery in Tehran, Nov. 2015 along with Sarvnaz Alambeigi as well as Atieh Atarzadeh and Loghman Khaledi.[91]

A conversation is a dialog that happens between two or more people. In documentary filmmaking there are many ways of entering into a dialog with the subject and the result is recorded. What the audience sees in the end is the product of these dialogs. In the collection of films shown at Shirin Gallery, the artists struggle to attain this concept of dialog in documentary film through various approaches with this dialog, and then by removing the documentary itself enter into a dialog inside the gallery in different ways. Oskouei explains this performance as "...We have created an atmosphere where adults could imagine what laws they could have broken as children that would have sent them to a juvenile correction institute. We created a minimal setting that resembled the detention facility, volunteers confessed, filled out forms and were given uniforms, they were weighed and measured and were quarantined. Finally they were told that the documentary was about to begin and asked if they were they ready to be interviewed. Most agreed to be interviewed. What took me unaware and made this performance unique for me were the reactions of the participants. Their discomfort and anxiety was enough to transform them into real criminals."

History of the Visual Heritage Center of Iran

The Visual Heritage Center of Iran is a specialized organization dedicated to the collection and study of Iranian historical photographs and post cards. It was founded in 2011 and has been continuously active in the field of historical photographs and post cards. Since its inception this center has had three main sections; research, archives and administration and has been under the directorship of its founder, Mehrdad Oskouie. Working together with his group of specialists the center focuses its attention on; history, photography, literature, cinema, the preservation and documentation of historical artifacts, folk art, architecture and handicrafts. They publish their valuable findings from their research onto visual documents of Iran and the world of Islam. Oskouei said: "Professor Iraj Afshar who invited me for a meeting. He told me I had chosen a difficult task, adding that old post cards and historic photographs were very expensive. He told me that if I wanted to and was able to, I should do it, but I should do it right. Collecting by itself is useless, and my goal wasn’t just to be a collector, but to do something of cultural importance. He asked that if I succeeded to put my collection into a book and publish it. I was motivated by the things he told me and I made such a book my goal. Soon after I was contacted by the Prince Claus Cultural Center in Holland and informed that I had been chosen as the recipient for the 2010 cultural person of the year monetary award to be used for developing a project concerning Iranian culture. With the monetary prize I received I was able to purchase a large number of historic Iranian post cards and photographs. It also gave me the opportunity to travel and visit libraries around the world to research about historic post cards". Together we began our research. We formed the hub of the new research group into historic Iranian photographs and post cards. Gradually our research group has grown in numbers and the following leading experts in their field have joined us. Ms. Zaynab Alizadeh; archeologist Ms. Mahdokht Abolfathi; documentarian Ms. Akram Karimzadeh; Iranian History Ms. Soheila Shams; photographer Ms. Somayeh Amiri; anthropologist Ms. Mandana Karimi; Cinema history Ms. Mona Darani; anthropologist Ms. Mahkameh Abolfathi; archeologist Ms. parisa oskouei; executive management Dr. Babak Ruholamini; Iranian Islamic history Mr. Mohammad Ghafouri; doctoral candidate Iranian history Mr. Ashkan Aminian; historian and genealogist Ms. Rozita Anvari; Anthropologist Mr. Siamak Haji Mohammad; doctoral candidate art history Mr. Abass Basiri; doctoral candidate history Dr. Shahram Aminian; physician and historical research\ Mrs. Masoumeh Almasi Mashak; Anthropologist Eng. Mohammad Rashed Marandi was with us until his recent passing and is now represented by his daughter Dr. Farinaz Rashed Marandi and her husband Dr. Kazem Taraghi who have all supported our group, both spiritually and financially.

Exhibitions organized by the Visual Heritage Center of Iran

• Iran depicted in historic post cards at the Dutch Embassy
• Iran depicted in historic post cards， The City House of Photographs museum, Feb. 2010
• Iran women as depicted in historical post cards,The City House of Photographs museum, Sept. 2011
• Everyday life in Iran as depicted in historic post cards，The City House of Photographs museum, April. 2011
• The photographs of Antoin Sevruguin，The City House of Photographs museum, Oct. 2013
• Handicrafts and tradesmen of the Ghajar dynasty as depicted in historic post cards，The City House of Photographs museum, April. 2014

Bibliography

Following are publications by various publishers working with the Visual Heritage Center of Iran. At present there are some new publications about photographs and post cards awaiting publication.

• Research

1- The Haj as depicted by historic post cards，A project conceived by Mehrdad Oskouie，Director of Research; Akram Karimzadeh Tehran, Iran A joint publication of Gamon Publishers and the Publications Center of Tabatabai University, 2016

2- The province of Gilan as depicted in historic post cards; A project conceived by Mehrdad Oskouie; Director of Research-Masoumeh Almasi Mashak; Ilia Publications; 2014

3- There must be another photograph: Notes for post cards by Iranian writers for 66 famous world authors; a project conceived by Mehrdad Oskouie; Director of Research- Soheila Shams; Herfe Honarmand Publications; 2013

• Photography

1- Memories and Views: Portraits of Contemporary Iranian Figures in Art and Culture by Mehrdad Oskouie; Tehran; Yesaveli Publishers; 2011

2- The Seven Climates of Iran; Tehran; Yesaveli Publications; 2009

3- Iran: The land of Compassion, Tehran; Yesaveli Publications; 2007

Narration

• Books on Tape "From Today's Residents" selected poetry of Sohrab Sepehri; with music by Reza Najfar, Novin Talking Book Publishers

Tehran, 2014

• Books on Tape "Jonathon Livingston Seagull" with music by Mehdi Zareh

Novin Talking Book Publishers, Tehran, 2014

Photography

Oskouei is also a documentary photographer. He travels throughout Iran giving seminars on this art. He is undoubtedly one of the hardest working artists in this field.

Group exhibitions

• 1st Participating Photographic Society Exhibition. Tehran, 1993
• Photography Exhibition UNESCO environmental committee,Tehran, 1994
• 1st 'KLIK' group show

With Mohammad Tehrani, Koroush Shabgard and Babak Forutani, Green Gallery, Tehran, 2001

• 2nd 'KLIK' group show

With Mohammad Tehrani, Koroush Shabgard and Babak ForoutaniPhoto House of Iran, Tehran, 2001

• 21st International black and white photography exhibition (FIAP) Amsterdam, 1994
• 24th International black and white photography exhibition (FIAP) China, 1998
• Group Photography show in Finland, 1999
• Group photography exhibit "According to Contemporary Iranian Photographers"

Pardis Mellat Gallery, Tehran, 2013

References

1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 10 August 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
2. "مسترکلاس مهرداد اسکویی جایگزین فرخ‌نژاد در "تصویر سال"". Cinemakhabar.ir. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
4. "'By the Time They Banished Me, I'd Already Finished Filming': An Interview with Mehrdad Oskouei – Hazlitt". hazlitt.net. 3 March 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) خانه سینمای ایران
6. "Starless Dreams 7th Among Village Voice Top 25 Films". financialtribune.com. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
7. "Starless Dreams". Metacritic. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
8. "Anthology Film Archives : Film Screenings". anthologyfilmarchives.org. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
9. https://www.dreamlabfilms.com/sunless-shadows/
10. "Mehrdad Oskouei – Dreamlab Films". Dreamlabfilms.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
11. "Mehrdad Oskouei – Dreamlab Films". Dreamlabfilms.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
12. https://www.krakowfilmfestival.pl/en/60th-kff/awards/
13. https://www.krakowfilmfestival.pl/en/60th-kff/awards/
14. https://en.mehrnews.com/news/156204/Sunless-Shadows-receives-honorable-mention-at-Big-Sky-filmfest
15. https://www.dreamlabfilms.com/sunless-shadows/
16. http://en.ifilmtv.com/News/Content/10044/Four%20Iran%20movies%20grab%20award%20in%20Geneva
17. "Home – Festival cinéma du monde de Sherbrooke – Redécouvrez le monde!". Festival cinéma du monde de Sherbrooke. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
18. "Starless Dreams – Dreamlab Films". Dreamlabfilms.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
19. "Hungarian Awards for Oskouie's 'Starless Dreams'". financialtribune.com. 3 February 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
20. "Traces de vies // Rencontres du film documentaire". Tdv.itsra.net. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
21. "Silk Road success for Iranian films". persiadigest.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
22. FILMA, ZAGREBDOX – MEĐUNARODNI FESTIVAL DOKUMENTARNOG. "The winning 13th ZagrebDox films received their awards. / News / 2018 / ZAGREBDOX International documentary film festival". zagrebdox.net. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
23. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 November 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2017.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
24. "Honorable mention goes to 'Starless Dreams'". mehrnews.com. 13 November 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
25. "32nd Annual IDA Documentary Awards". gettyimages.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
26. "60th BFI London Film Festival announces 2016 awards winners". BFI. 17 October 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
27. "Reva and David Logan Grand Jury Award – Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University – CDS Porch". Cdsporch.org. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
28. "News Archive – Full Frame Documentary Film Festival". Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
29. "Full Frame Documentary Film Festival | Home of the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival". Fullframefest.org. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
30. "'Starless Dreams' Wins Best Documentary Award at BFI London". ifpnews.com. 16 October 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
31. ""Starless Dreams" wins APSA best doc award". tehrantimes.com. 25 November 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
32. "MOVE IT! Filmfestival: Starless Dreams (OV) Dresden – alle Spielzeiten für diesen Film". Kinofans.com. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
33. ""Starless Dreams" crowned best at London filmfest". tehrantimes.com. 16 October 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
34. "'Starless Dreams' receives Russian award". Iran-daily.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
35. "BIFF to screen Starless Dreams". mehrnews.com. 21 August 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
36. "DokuFest XV Winners Announced! at The DokuFest international film Festivcal,2016, Pizren, Kosova, starless dreams/". dokufest.com. Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
37. https://www.dreamlabfilms.com/sunless-shadows/
38. "Starless Dreams - Dreamlab Films". www.dreamlabfilms.com.
39. Films, Ty (2 April 2019). "Les rencontres". Ty Films.
40. http://www.festivals-connexion.com/calendrier/programmes/programme-2017-122-Traces_de_Vies.pdf
41. "DokuFest - 5 -13 August 2016 – Prizren". Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
42. "IDA Documentary Awards 2016: Nominees". documentary.org. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
43. "DokuFest XV Winners Announced!". dokufest.com. Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
44. "Rencontres Hivernales du Documentaire de Grignan – Festival de films documentaires". rencontres-documentaires-grignan.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
45. "Silk Road International Film Festival". FilmFreeway. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
46. "sosve – Home". Sosve.lu. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
47. "Festival Enfances dans le monde – Actualités – BICE". bice.org. 25 June 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
48. "Home – Pravo Ljudski". Pravo Ljudski. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
49. "Workman Arts". Rendezvouswithmadness.ca. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
50. "YIDFF: 2017: Information". Yidff.jp. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
51. "Adana International Film Festival". FilmFreeway. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
52. "Home – BFFF". BFFF. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
53. "Celebration of Iranian Cinema at UCI-2017". Farhang.org. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
54. "NZIFF: Find by Title". Nziff.co.nz. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
55. "Festival Résistances 2018". festival-resistances.fr. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
56. "Favourites Film Festival". Favouritesfilmfestival.de. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
57. "DJ Shadow @ Festival des Libertés > ven 28 > 21:00". Festival des Libertés. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
58. "Home – Unabhängiges Filmfest Osnabrück". Unabhängiges Filmfest Osnabrück. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
59. "Nepatogus kinas – 10th human rights film festival "Inconvenient Films" starts in Vilnius". nepatoguskinas.lt. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
60. "Starless Dreams – with Q&A | Antenna Documentary Film Festival". Tix.antennafestival.org. Archived from the original on 17 December 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
61. "25th Annual Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival: Starless Dreams". 25thannualhotspringsdocumen2016.sched.org. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
62. "Every female director at the 2016 BFI London Film Festival". lwlies.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
64. "Zurich Film Festival". Zurich Film Festival. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
65. "Home – Idioms Film". Idioms Film. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
66. "Dokfilmwoche 2016 – Berlin Programm". berlin-programm.de. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
67. "DokuFest – 5 -13 August 2016 – Prizren". dokufest.com. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
68. "65th Melbourne International Film Festival". Local Marketing. 26 July 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
70. "New York – Human Rights Watch Film Festival". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
71. "The Norwegian Short Film Festival – Kortfilmfestivalen". Kortfilmfestivalen. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
72. "Deutsches Filmmuseum". deutsches-filminstitut.de. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
73. "Cinema in Sneakers Film Festival for Children and Youth". FilmFestivalLife.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
74. "❯❯ Iranisches Filmfestival Köln – Visions of Iran". iranian-filmfestival.com. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
75. "International Documentary Film Festival CRONOGRAF, Moldova 2016". heymannfilms.com. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
76. "DOK.fest München". Dokfest-muenchen.de. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
77. "Hot Docs Industry – Hot Docs". Hotdocs.ca. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
78. "Full Frame Documentary Film Festival | Home of the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival". Fullframefest.org. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
79. Ruta, Roberto. "HOMEPAGE – Middle East Now Festival". Middleastnow.it. Archived from the original on 17 November 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
80. "TDF19 – Splash". Tdf.filmfestival.gr. 15 January 2016. Archived from the original on 16 April 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
81. "One World 2016". Oneworld.cz. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
82. "Tempo dokumentärfestival". Tempofestival.se. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
83. "Berlinale 11–21 February 2016 : The Awards" (PDF). Berlinale.de. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
84. "Przyznano nagrody 6. Festiwalu Filmowego Planete Doc Review". onet.pl. 17 May 2009. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
85. "EDN: Video". Edn.dk. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
86. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
87. "home".
88. "Iranian director Oskouei will head Krakow festival jury". www.iran-daily.com.
89. Veibl, David. "CPH:DOX - EN - Home". CPH:DOX. Archived from the original on 12 September 2018. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
90. "Oskouei on Int'l Film Festival Jury". Financial Tribune. 5 February 2017.
91. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

External links

• Mehrdad Oskouei on IMDb