Southside Tehran meets northside Tehran in TV director Parisa Bakhtavar's comedy debut, "Tambourine". Based on a screenplay by Bakhtavar's husband acclaimed Filmmmaker Asghar Farhadi (Fireworks Wednesday) Tambourine depicts social issues through different levels of life in today's Tehran. Robert Koehler of Variety writes:"Though not as charged and raw in its observations of marital conflict as
"Fireworks Wednesday," "Tambourine" can be viewed as a gentler companion to Farhadi's drama, taking in a larger community of rich and poor characters. Casting is solid all around, as Kosari's poker-faced approach serves as a good contrast to her more broadly playing co-thesps, with actors like Abbar and Shahrokshahi in the emotional middle range."

"Tambourine" is a whirligig comedy, playing out over the course of one day and carrying hints of the ensemble-shuffling of Robert Altman, the snarkiness of Preston Sturges and the pace of Billy Wilder.

Amin Hayayi,Baran Kosari,Mehran Modiri,Mohammad Reza
Sharifinia,Saber Abar,Gohare Kheirandish,Nima Shahrokhshahi,Bahareh Rahnama,Hamed Behdad,Akram Mohammadi,Negar Forouzandeh,Niloufar Khoshkholgh,Omid Rouhani.
Director: Parisa Bakhtavar. Screenplay:Asghar Farhadi. Producer: Seyed Jamal Sadatian. Dirctor of Photography: Morteza Poursamadi. Set and Clothes Designer: Keyvan Moghadam. Makeup: Iman Omidvari. Sound:Bahman Motevali

(Iran, 2008, 110 minutes.) In Persian with subtitles.

From celebrated Iranian director Dariush Mehrjui (The Cow; The Cycle) comes this
contemporary drama about a musician who plays the santoor, an ancient stringed instrument. Unfortunately, Santouri is also addicted to heroin, which takes an emotional and physical toll. His life takes a tragic downward spiral after authorities ban him from playing in public and his wife leaves him.
Master filmmaker Mehrjui has the distinction of being censored by both the Shah of Iran and the
Islamic fundamentalists that followed in the wake of the Revolution. That he has survived and continues to make films is a testament to his talent, fortitude, and influence on younger generations of filmmakers. Still unafraid of controversy after 30 years of Iranian filmmaking, Mehrjui suggests in his film that his country’s current cultural repression is connected to its rampant drug addition. The soundtrack for this great film is also available.

SANTOURI THE MUSIC MAN. Santuri. Directed by Dariush Mehrjui. With
Bahram Radan, Golshifteh Farahani, Masoud Raygan, and Roya
Teymorian. Written by Dariush Mehrjui and V. Mohammadofar.
Cinematography by Touraj Mansouri. Edited by Mehdi Hosseinivand.
Produced by Dariush Mehrjui and Faramarz Farazmand .
Special Features: Biography of director; Photo Gallery
Iran/2007/Color/Fullscreen/106 mins. In Persian with English subtitles.

From one of Iran’s most talented young filmmakers comes this ensitive drama about two lost souls who run a lowly gas station in a deserted area of
Iran. Sadry and his new assistant struggle to eke out a living with their gas station. With few customers and little in common, they spend most of their time alone except for occasional visits by the local postman. Despite their apparent loneliness, each of
the three men dream of romance and are driven to pursue impossible relationships. With its visually stunning black and white cinematography and off-kilter compositions,

A FEW KILOS OF DATES FOR A FUNERAL is stylishly directed by award-winning newcomer Saman Salur. His clever mix of drama with black humor paints a fresh face on the cinema of Iran. A FEW KILOS OF DATES FOR A FUNERAL. Chand Kilo Khorma Baraye Marassem-e Tadfin. Written and directed by Saman Salur. With Mohsen Tanabandeh, Nader Fallah, and Mohsen Namjoo. Cinematography by Turaj Aslani. Edited by Ali-Reza Farsijani and Saman Salur.

Iran/2006/Black & White/Widescreen/85 mins. In Farsi with English subtitles.

A hotly debated comedy from Iran, SNOWMAN tells the story of young Abbas, a man desperate to immigrate to America, the land of his dreams.
Abbas is so desperate that he dresses as a woman in the hopes of marrying an American man so he can
become a U.S. citizen. But, how long can he go until he is discovered . . .
Davoud Mirbagheri’s ticklish tale of crossdressing taps into a common motif in Iranian culture— a character in a difficult situation who passes as a member of the opposite gender to get out of trouble. Despite this familiar theme, this bubbly comedy was quite controversial when released in Iran.

SNOWMAN. Adam Barfi. Written and directed by Davoud Mirbagheri. With Akbar Abdi, Dariush Arjomand, Azita Hadjian, Parviz Parastooei, Mohammadreza Sharifinia, and Mehdi Fathi. Cinematography by Maziar
Parto. Edited by Mohammad-Reza Mooni. Produced by Sureh Cinema
Dev. Org.

Iran/1995/Color/Widescreen/96 mins. In Farsi with English subtitles.

Sharzad, a lawyer in modern-day Tehran, loses custody of her seven-year-old son after her divorce from a powerful businessman. The boy's diabetes is made worse because the father is more interested in work than in domestic duties, and the young mother finds herself doing her exhusband's chores during her twice-weekly visits.
The situation forces Sharzard to take matters into her own hands.

Though a tightly wound family drama anyone can relate to, ONE THOUSAND WOMEN LIKE ME also offers a first-hand look at how young sophisticates live in a severely patriarchal society. As the title suggests, Sharzad's case is hardly unique as institutions are clearly biased against women--even highly competent ones--a
point made clear by the courtroom where separate entrances exist for men and women. A fascinating look at Iranian culture and politics.

A THOUSAND WOMEN LIKE ME. Herazan Zan Mesle Man. Directed by Reza Karimi. With Niki Karimi, Fariburz Arabnia, Faramarz Sadighi, and Nikoo Kheradmand. Written by Azita Moghuie. Cinematography by Farhad Saba. Edited by Mohammad Reza Mouyini. Produced by Mohammad Mehdi Dadgoo for N.E.J. Intl. Pictures.
Special Features: Photo Gallery Iran/2000/Color/108 mins. In Persian with English subtitles. All-Zone NTSC DVD

Director Behrooz Afkhami—who is also a member of the Iranian Parliament—delivers a suspenseful story as well as a telling portrait of Iran’s upper middle class.

HEMLOCK. Shokaran. Directed by Behrooz Afkhami. With Hedieh Tehrani, Fariborz Arab-Nia, Rozita Ghafari, and Hamid Afshar. Written by Minoo Farshchi and Behrooz Afkhami. Cinematography by Nemat Haghighi. Edited by Mohammad Reza Mouyini and Mehrzad Minooi. Original music by Seyed Mohammad Mirzamani. Produced by Seyyed Zia Hashemi

A love story with social commentary, PARTY exposes the suffering of Iranian society at the hands of a repressive government, particularly over press censorship. Almost banned by authorities, the controversial drama was directed by Saman Moghadam (Siavash; Café Setareh), whose highly entertaining films also explore and critique Iranian society.

The directorial debut of popular filmmaker Saman Moghadam (Maxx; Café Setareh), this groundbreaking drama captures the mood of Iran just after the Iran-Iraq war in which a younger generation of Iranians was less fervent about religion than their parents and more concerned with leading a peaceful life.

Originally banned by authorities, the film pushed against the barriers of censorship by featuring rock music, which was discouraged in Iran, and by showing public interaction between young men and women.

A smash hit in Iran, MAXX is a delightful musical comedy starring a cast of fresh faces, including Farhad Ayish in the title role. In this hilarious tale of mitaken identity, Maxx, a performer in a Los Angeles nightclub, receives an invitation to participate in a musical festival in Tehran. Upon arriving in Iran, Maxx is astounded by the warm welcome and at the many invitations to important cultural events. Little does he know that his invitation was orginally intended for a prominent symphony conductor with a similar name. When authorities in Tehran discover Maxx is a rapper, chaos erupts.