Elnaz Shakerdoost (Persian: الناز شاکردوست; born July 7, 1984) is an Iranian former actress. She studied at the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Tehran while pursuing acting in theater. She received a nomination for the Crystal Simorgh for Best Actress at the Fajr Film Festival for her role in When the Wind Blows Through the Meadow in 2007 and won the Best Actress award at the Hafez Awards for her performance in Mubarak in 2016. Shakerdoost also won the Crystal Simorgh for Best Actress for her role in When the Moon Was Full in 2018 and was nominated for the same award for Pinto, both directed by Narges Abyar.
Early life Elnaz Shakerdoost was born on July 7, 1984, in Tehran, Iran. She is the second child in her family, with an older brother and a younger sister. From a young age, Shakerdoost showed an interest in acting, performing in school and university theater productions. In 1997, she won the Best Actress award at a student edition of the Fajr Festival. She ranked 11th in the national university entrance exam for the arts and enrolled in the Theater program at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Tehran.Biography Elnaz Shakerdoost on Iranian Young Journalist Club
Controversies Film Scandal
ElNaz Shakerdoost, in an open letter addressed to the media, wrote about her role as Afsaneh in the film Scandal: "I truly lived the role of Afsaneh, and my soul will forever remain tied to this character. My only solace is the hope that the conscience of my homeland, Iran, awakens in time. The reason I took on this role was to echo the sigh of a girl who, after the price of bread rose, turned away from God in anger, left the breadline, and was forced into a life of vice. No one asked what would become of a home left without bread."
Support for the LGBT Community
Following the reported killing of Ali Fazeli Monfared on 4 May 2021, Shakerdoost expressed support for the LGBT community on her Instagram account. She posted a photo of herself with rainbow-colored bangs, a symbol associated with the LGBT movement, accompanied by the following statement:
A few days later, following a warning from the Tehran Prosecutor's Office, Shakerdoost was compelled to delete the Instagram post. During this period, media outlets such as Fars News Agency and Mashregh News, which are affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, played a significant role in orchestrating campaigns aimed at discrediting Shakerdoost. These outlets referred to her with derogatory labels, such as a "celebrity promoting corruption."
Protest at the 2023 Fajr Film Festival
In February 2023, while attending a screening of the film Without Body at the Kourosh Cinema Complex during the Fajr Film Festival, Elnaz Shakerdoost took the stage minutes before the film's conclusion to voice criticism of the festival's organizers.
2025–2026 Iranian protests
On 2 February 2026, Shakerdoost announced her retirement from acting in protest of the government's response to the 2025–2026 Iranian protests. In 2026, Shakerdoost withdrew from the 44th Fajr Film Festival after her film Single Mum (Aram Bakhsh) was selected for the competition section. She declined to accept the Crystal Simorgh award and stated that her decision was made in protest against the killing of people by agents of the Islamic Republic. The film's writer and director Saeed Zamanian and composer Sohrab Pournazeri had previously announced their withdrawal from the festival.
Withdrawal from Acting and Legal Pressure In the aftermath of the killing of protesters during Iran’s 2025–2026 Iranian protests, she wrote on her Instagram: To live like this is harder than dying a thousand times. Referring to the Fajr Film Festival, she added: I will not take part in any celebration, nor will I ever again act on a land that smells of blood.
In October 2026, her lawyer Houshang Pourbabaei announced that Branch 36 of the Tehran Appeals Court had upheld a one-year prison sentence and a two-year ban on professional artistic, political, and online activities against Shakerdoost on charges of "propaganda against the regime" following her online statements protesting the crackdown.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Director Notes2003Here Is the End of the WorldGolrokhEbrahim Bakhshi, Sharareh Yousefinia2004SinglesZhaleh PoshtkarAsghar Hashemi2005Online MurderLeilaMasoud AbparvarIce FlowerTargolKiumars PourahmadThe Runaway BrideSimaBahram Kazemi2006Who Killed Amir?AsalMehdi KarampourHow Much You Want to Cry?IranShahed AhmadloUnfaithfulZohrehAsghar Naimi2007First MoveSaraFarhad NajafiThe Rule of the GameFereshtehAhmad Reza MotamediGod Is CloseLeilaAli VazirianThe Night BusReyhanehKiumars Pourahmad2008Layla's MajnunParvanehGhasem JafariAmong the CloudsNooraRouhollah HejaziWind Blows in the MeadowShookaKhosrow MasoumiShirinWoman in audienceAbbas Kiarostami2009The ShellRojaMostafa Al AhmadBleeding HeartDelaramMohammad Reza RahmaniCheckmateParisaJamshid Heidari2010Smell of GandomGandomMohammad Reza KhakiTwo SistersMinaMohammad BankiDistanceMaryamKamran QadakchianThe UngratefulAnaelHassan HedayatHey to LoveElaheAsghar NaeemiAccusationNasimMehrdad FaridDeath CarnivalNahidReza Azamian, Habibollah KasesazRed LightRoya / SetarehAli Ghafari2011Point of No ReturnSayehSirous RanjbarThe First ConditionNazaninMasoud AtyabiMe and YouMahshidMohammad Banki2013NotorietyAfsanehMasoud DehnamakiFireworksMaralBahman Goodarzi2014MobarakGolpariMohammad Reza Najafi EmamiThe King's White HorseMaryMohammad Hossein Latifi2015TabooBaharKhosrow Masoumi2017AsphyxiaSahraFereydoun Jeyrani2018All Through the NightMahta / MaryamFarzad Motamen2019When the Moon Was FullFaezehNarges AbyarThe SingerZibaMostafa Kiaee2020I'm ScaredNasimBehnam BehzadiTiTiTitiIda Panahandeh2021PintoRahelehNarges Abyar2023A Relic of the SouthRanaHossein Amiri Doomari, Pedram PouramiriThe Last BirthdaySorayaNavid Mahmoudi2024BodilessMorteza Alizadeh2025Highway DeerAbolfazl SaffaryThe Crooked CocoonHatef Alimardani2026Single MumAramSaeed Zamanian
Short films
Year Title Role Director Notes2023Like a SecretSaeed Zamanian
Web Year Title Role Director Platform2010–2011Icy HeartChistaMohammad Hossein LatifiVideo CD2012Iranian RallyHerselfArash Moayerian
Theatre Year Title Playwright Director Stage Notes2017LostAmir Mohandesan, Hadi AhmadiAmir MohandesanIranshahr Theater2023Mad's Girl Love SongTala MotazediArvand Dashtaray, Marene Van HolkCity Theater of Tehran
Awards and nominations +Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination Award Year Category Nominated Work ResultCarcassonne International Political Film Festival2019Best ActressWhen the Moon Was FullFajr Film Festival2008Best Actress in a Leading RoleWind Blows in the Meadow2019When the Moon Was Full2020I'm Scared2021PintoHafez Awards2017Best Actress – Motion PictureMobarak2018Asphyxia2020When the Moon Was Full2023Titi2024Bodiless2025The Crooked CocoonIran Cinema Celebration 2005Best Actress in a Supporting RoleSingles 2006Who Killed Amir?2008Best Actress in a Leading RoleAmong the Clouds2018Asphyxia2019When the Moon Was FullIran's Film Critics and Writers Association2017Best Actress in a Leading RoleAsphyxia2020When the Moon Was Full2022TitiIranian Film Festival – San Francisco2015Best Actress TabooRabat International Film Festival2022Best Actress Titi
References
Elnaz Shakerdoost in Soureh Cinema Elnaz Shakerdoost in Filcin
External links
Elnaz Shakerdoost On SourehCinema (in Persian)