Mohsen Makhmalbaf

Mohsen Makhmalbaf (b. 1957) was born in a deprived suburb of Tehran. In his young days he was part of the radical Islamic opposition movement and, after spending some five years in prison, he decided to forge a filmmaking career. Many of his almost thirty films have played at some of the world's most prestigious festivals, including the IFFs in Cannes, Venice and Locarno, nevertheless they were frequently banned back in Iran. Together with Jafar Panahi and Abbas Kiarostami he is one of the best known representatives of the Iranian New Wave. In 2009, three years after Makhmalbaf emigrated, his works were banned altogether in Iran. Selected filmography: The Cyclist (1989), A Moment of Innocence (1996), The Silence (1998), Kandahar (2001), Scream of the Ants (2006), and The President (2014). His daughters Samira and Hana Makhmalbaf are also film directors.

50. MFF Karlovy Vary