Abdolreza Kahani (; born 22 December 1973) is an expatriate Iranian filmmaker, who works principally in France and Canada.
He made his first short film, The Smile, in 1988. He made his first feature film, Dance with the Moon, in 2003.
In 2009, Kahani's film Twenty won the Special Jury Prize and the Prize of Ecumenical Jury at the 44th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The film observes a small band of employees trying to save a depressed Iranian banquet hall which the owner has decided to close in 20 days.
Several of his films were censored for political reasons by the government of Iran, most notably the 2016 film Delighted. He emigrated to France in the mid-2010s, and has since worked with French and Canadian production companies.
Isthmus, released in 2021, marked his English-language debut. He subsequently released the films You Won't See Winter, Nina and A Shrine.
In 2025, his film Mortician won the Sean Connery Prize at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Filmography Year English title Original title Transliteration Award 2002 Travellers of Need مسافران نیاز Mosaferan Niaz 2003 Empty Hands باد به دستان Baad Be Dastan 2004 Dance with the Moon رقص با ماه Raghs Ba Mah 2005 Crueltyville ظلم آباد Zolm Abad 2007 Adam آدم Adam 2008 Over There آن جا An Ja Golden Alexander Thessaloniki International Film Festival 2008 2009 Twenty بیست Bist Special Prize of the Jury Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2009Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2009 Honorary Diploma Best Director Fajr International Film Festival 2009Silver Award Damascus International Film Festival 2009 2010 Nothing هیچ Hich Audience Award Yerevan International Film Festival 2010 2011 Horses Are Noble Animals اسب حیوان نجیبی است Asb Heyvane Najibi Ast Special Jury Award Celebration of Iranian Cinema Critics 2011 2012 Needlessly and Causelessly بی خود و بی جهت Bikhod & Bi Jahat Best Film of the Year Look Critics and Writers Film Magazine 2012 2014 We Have Time On a le temps Vaght Darim Hala Independent Camera Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2014 2015 Absolute Rest استراحت مطلق Esterahate Motlagh 2016 Delighted ارادتمند؛ نازنین، بهاره، تینا Eradatmand; Nazanin, Bahareh, Tina 2018 Miss Yaya ما شما را دوست داریم خانم یایا Ma shoma ra doust darim khanom yaya 2019 Free Like Air آزاد مثل هوا Azad mesle Hava 2021 Isthmus Isthmus Estakhr 2022 You Won't See Winter 2024 A Shrine 2024 Nina 2025 Mortician 2026 Empty Heaven
Awards and honors
Awards Special Jury Award at the ran Cinema Celebration in 2011 for the film Horses Are Noble Animals Audience Award Yerevan International Film Festival 2010 for the film Nothing Special Prize of the Jury Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2009 for the film Twenty Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2009 for the film Twenty Honorary Diploma Best Director 27th Fajr International Film Festival 2009 for the film Twenty Silver Award Damascus International Film Festival 2009 for the film Twenty Golden Alexander Thessaloniki International Film Festival 2008 for the film Over There
Honors Critics' choice for movie of the year by Film Magazine in 2012 for By No Reason.
See also Iranian cinema
References
External links